Power Rangers: Vanguard
by Sir Perfluous
Summary: After millennia of imprisonment, the evil Cambion demons are bent on enslaving humanity. The only thing standing in their way are 5 college students and the powers of their angelic Keyrunes. Together, the Vanguard Rangers will fight to defend the world and reclaim the lost legacy of an ancient celestial race.
1. Benediction: Part 1

**A/N:**  
 **I've finally decided to take on the daunting task of writing an original series. I intend for this to be more of a side project, but that doesn't mean I'll give it any less attention or effort either. I look forward to this personal challenge, and I hope you're all ready to meet a new team of heroes.**

 **That said, I don't own Power Rangers or any of its related intellectual property. I only own my OCs and my great love for this genre of superhero fiction.**

 ***IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER*  
This story will contain some imagery and motifs inspired from Judeo-Christian mythology. I have no intentions to offend anyone, nor do I want to bring any sort of religious biases, or agendas into this story. While the powers are angelic in appearance, they are derived from elemental power and the magic of an ancient race. I will reveal all in time, but I only ask for all readers to be open-minded, patient, and most importantly, respectful toward each other. Thanks again for your kindness and understanding!**

* * *

Joseph Hale took in a deep breath and smiled as he stepped outside into the crisp autumn air. The golden light of the morning sun warmed his face as he zipped up his red track jacket and began his walk to class. As he left his dormitory, he did his best to mentally use the campus landmarks to find his way. The last thing he wanted to do was pull out a map and make it known to the whole world that he was just another clueless college freshman.

As he strolled down the shady tree lined roads of the campus, he did his best to suppress the nervous feelings about his first day of class. Although Hyperion University wasn't a particularly large school, it wasn't a small school either, having been built at the edge of the nearby mountain city of Hyperion Falls. In a sense, the place was the best of both worlds, large enough to be exciting, but small enough to still feel homey.

Joe continued strolling along until he reached the steps of an older Romaneque style building made of brown stone. As he began to open the front door, he turned around when he heard his name called from behind. To his surprise, he saw the large burly form of his dormitory roommate, Nick Adler hurry up the stairs.

"Nick? What are you doing here? I thought the agriculture buildings are on the other side of campus."

"They were," Nick panted rolling up the sleeves of his green plaid shirt, "Seems my class schedule got all screwed up at registration. According to the university's system, now I'm stuck taking Ancient History 101."

"You're kidding," Joe remarked in surprise as he led the way inside the building, "that's actually where I'm headed."

"I thought you were one of the pre-law guys. What are you doing taking History?" Nick frowned.

Joe smiled to the large blonde farm boy, "I'm actually minoring in the subject. At the very least, I'm hoping this class should be interesting too."

Nick chuckled clapping his friend's shoulder, "Far as I can see, I'm just hoping you'll be willing to tutor me now. What do you say roomie?"

Joe rolled his eyes gently as they entered the main lecture hall and were greeted by the sight of two other students. Near the front of the classroom sat an attractive Hispanic girl wearing a stylish pink cardigan. Hanging over her desk was a young man with sandy colored features who wore an expensive looking navy blue sport coat. As Joe and Nick sat down nearby, the Hispanic girl caught sight of them and quickly hurried over, plopping down in a seat next to Joe.

"Hey, sorry. Do you mind if I sit with you guys today? Mr. Bluecoat over there was totally creeping on me."

The two friends blinked a moment before she tilted her head and giggled a little in embarrassment, holding out a hand. "Oh, right. Sorry. My name is Isabel. Isabel Herrera. But you can just call me Izzy."

"Err... hi. Nice to meet you Izzy," Hale replied politely shaking her hand, "I'm Joe, and this is my roommate Nick."

The farmboy gave her a friendly nod as the young man in the blue jacket ambled over.

"Aww come on Isabel, you didn't have to run away," he said. "I just wanted to talk."

Izzy rolled her eyes as the young man gave a shrug and turned toward Nick innocently, "Well, you couldn't fault me for trying, right?"

Extending a hand, he said "The name's Danny. How do you do?"

Nick shook Danny's hand and gave him a slightly suspicious look, "You aren't hitting on me too, are you?"

Izzy suddenly erupted in laughter as Danny gave him an annoyed frown. Stifling a laugh himself, Joe waved it off trying to be diplomatic, "Relax Danny. He's just joking, right Nick?"

Danny simply raised his hands in surrender and shook his head to himself with a sigh, "Well, I suppose I did open myself up to that one."

Changing the subject, Joe asked, "So, are you two also History students?"

Danny shook his head and casually sat down in the row behind them, "Nah. I'm actually a Business major. I'm just taking this class for an easy A."

"Not me," Izzy added leaning back in her seat, "I figured I'd take the course because I heard the professor is a hot younger guy."

The boys all stared at her in silent disbelief for a moment before exchanging puzzled looks between themselves.

Before they could say anything more, one more student entered the lecture hall. She was a petite Asian girl wearing a slim white zip-up hoodie. Despite her little size and her cute face, the large stuffed book-bag on her back looked almost comical in comparison. As she approached, she caught sight of Izzy and gave a deep sigh of annoyance before sitting down in the row behind her.

"Claire! I didn't know you were taking this class too!" Izzy called enthusiastically, "This will be awesome!"

"I'm only taking this class to get my Humanities requirement out of the way Iz." Claire mumbled pulling out her notebook and putting on her glasses. "The sooner I can get to my Chemistry courses, the better."

"Well, she seems cheerful," Joe remarked quietly to Izzy. The girl wearing pink patted his arm and gave him a reassuring smile, "Oh, don't mind her. Claire is my next door neighbor back in the dorm. She's a little uptight, but I'm sure she's a real sweatheart underneath."

Joe gave Isabel a skeptical look wondering if she really was that perceptive, or maybe just a complete ditz. As he did, Danny sidled up next to Claire and gave a suave smile, "Hi there. I'm Danny Winthrope."

At that moment, Danny's new pickup attempt was thwarted as the students saw their professor enter the room from a side door and take his place at the lectern. The man looked to be in his late thirties and was dressed casually, carrying himself with a calm and easy manner. He was tall and handsome with a hint of stubble on his face, and the boys could see what Izzy had meant. As the professor removed his black blazer and set it on a nearby chair, he took a look around the room in amusement. "Five students… well, that's definitely an improvement from last semester."

The students glanced at each other a moment as the professor spoke again, "Good morning everyone. My name is Professor Gabriel Bishop. I know the class seems a little small, but I'm sure we'll make do. Now, we have a lot of ground to cover, so let's go over the course syllabus and then dive right in."

"Easy A, huh?" Nick mumbled sarcastically toward Danny as Professor Bishop began his lecture.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the nearby city of Hyperion Falls, a group of construction workers were hard at work laying the foundation for a new office building. As the foreman made his rounds, he stopped to observe a group of workers pounding away at the rocky ground with their jackhammers. Amid the noise, the foreman suddenly began waving his arms and shouting for the men to stop while he pointed toward the ground.

"Hey! What's the hold up boss?" one of the workers asked powering down his jackhammer.

"Take a look!" the foreman replied pointing down into the rocky ground. "Did you guys see that?"

As the dust cleared, the workers stopped to see a large circular stone disk lodged in the earth. It seemed to have some kind ancient cryptic symbols carved into it.

"Woah. What do you think it is?" one of the workers asked in surprise. "Is it one of those ancient Egyptian tombs?"

"Here in America? Don't be an idiot," another worker said shoving him aside, "Egyptian writing had like, pictures and stuff.

"Well… whatever it is, I think we should hold up the digging for now." The foreman said.

The worker with the jackhammer gave a dismissive snort, "You really wanna tell the project manager that? He's already breathing down our necks and we're on a time crunch here. If we don't work, we don't get paid."

Before the foreman could protest, the worker put the jackhammer on the disk and began to drill, splitting the stone artifact in two.

To his shock, a powerful rush of air and black smoke erupted from the broken stone disk and began to swirl about violently.

The construction workers looked on in sudden fear as the black smoke began coalescing into a large dark form with glowing red eyes. "I'm free!" it cried, causing the swirling black winds to intensify.

"What the hell is that thing?" the foreman gasped in terror as he fell backwards in the dirt. The construction workers scrambled in fear as the creature gave a hideous laugh and blew past them, flying away into the sky. With a trembling hand, the foreman took a cloth and wiped the sweat from his neck, "I… didn't see anything… I think it's time we go on lunch now."

* * *

Back at the University, the five students furiously scribbled in their notebooks, trying to keep pace with Professor Bishop's lecture, until Claire stopped and raised her hand. "Professor Bishop, I'm sorry but I still can't understand. What good will learning about all these ancient ziggurats and Roman columns do us in the future?"

Bishop stopped and gave a thoughtful look. "History has long been viewed by students and other disciplines as a boring subject, or a bunch of useless dates, and it certainly can be. Believe me, I understand. But there is an important reason why we study the subject. Anyone want to take a stab?"

"So we don't make the same mistakes that we did in the past?" Danny called out, raising his hand.

Bishop crossed his arms and gave a half nod, "From a pragmatic standpoint, that's very true. But there's also another, more philosophical reason." Glancing down the row, he caught sight of Joe sitting with a pensive look on his face, "Mr. Hale? How about you?"

Joe looked up in surprise and noticed that his other classmates turned to look at him expectantly. He spoke hesitantly, "Well… I guess it's because history is a part of who we are. I mean, if we don't understand how we got here, then how can we even hope to know who we are today, or where we're headed in the future, right?"

Professor Bishop gave a warm smile and nodded, "And it's my hope that by the end of this class, we may answer some of those very questions. But for now…"

He was suddenly cut off when an older man wearing a black jacket and a white Roman Catholic priest's collar entered from the side door. Bishop stopped and gave a look of surprise as the priest walked over and put a folded up note in the professor's hand. Bishop took a quick glance at the note before nodding to the priest and turning back to the class, "For now… I think we'll call it day. Class dismissed."

Claire checked her wristwatch and protested quietly, "But we still have fifteen minutes."

"No complaints here." Nick grinned standing up, "Anyone want to grab a snack at the Student Union before the next class?"

"Sure, why not?" Danny shrugged as he and Izzy walked out of the room with Nick.

As Joe continued to watch Professor Bishop and the priest leave while speaking in hushed tones, he turned as Claire tapped his shoulder, "What do you think that was all about?"

"No clue," he shrugged, "Still… it's kinda strange don't you think?"

"Judging by the people in our class, I don't think we're in any position to judge," she quipped.

He gave her a pointed look until she waved it off with her hand, "In any case, that was a nice answer back there. Joe, right?"

"Yeah, sorry..." he replied, "Izzy didn't formally introduce us back there."

"Don't sweat it," she said nonchalantly shaking his hand, "I'm Claire Li. Where are you headed next?"

"Bio lab at 10:30." Hale grimaced, "My turn to complain about useless Gen Ed requirements now."

Claire gave a faint smirk, "Really? I'm headed there too. Come on, I guess it'll be my turn to take the lead."

* * *

While the students departed, Professor Bishop walked quickly down the hallway and out of the building with the older priest. "There is danger Bishop," the priest hissed, "those construction workers think they saw a demon in the city earlier today. I believe it to be an omen."

Bishop sighed in annoyance, "Or maybe they just hit a gas line and were hallucinating the whole thing. Father Santos I don't see why you're bringing this to me now."

Father Santos fixed the young professor with a serious look, "You were given those Keyrunes to study for a reason. If there is some kind of evil growing  
nearby, we're all going to depend on you to figure out what they do... in hopes that they may be of use."

Professor Bishop scoffed to himself, "Says the same people who had largely denounced my research as fairy tales and pseudoscience. I'll get right on it Father."

With that, Professor Bishop angrily turned his back and began walking away toward his lonely little office at the edge of campus.

* * *

That night, deep in the forests at the outskirts of Hyperion Falls, the bright pale glow of the full moon cast a ghostly light through the leaves as one by one, the animals began to fall silent. A large dark figure with jagged horns and glowing red eyes stalked through the brush until it came to rest by a large moonlit pond. It had been so long since he had been free, the demon Belial couldn't remember what a simple pleasure it was to bask in the night's darkness and moonlight. Raising a claw over the water, he began to softly chant a guttural incantation until the waters of the pond began to bubble and churn with dark power.

In the light of the moon reflecting off the water, Belial could make out the large wispy silhouette of his master, the fallen angel Gideon. The monstrous shadow turned its glowing eyes toward the demon and stretched out his six twisted wings, "Belial? Is that you?" he rasped, his voice distorted by the unstable portal.

"I am here Master." Belial bowed, "The foolish humans have set me free and now I return to do your bidding."

Gideon nodded, "The seal between this world and the Abyss is weakening. I will need you to secure our path for when we escape our prison."

"What would you have me do, Master?" the demon asked leaning closer to the waters.

Gideon raised his hand, "You will seek out the five keyrunes of the Ancients. Find them so that none may take them up to oppose us. Do you understand?"

Belial nodded and cut the connection of his spell, causing the bubbling moonlit waters of the pond to die down. Seeing that he would need help in his search, the demon conjured a winged imp and set it free into the skies. "Go now my pet. Find the keyrunes and bring them to me."

The imp gave a shrill cry as it circled and took off from the tree line into the dark moonlit skies.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Now that the plot is underway, I'd like to open things up to you the readers.**

 **If anyone is interested and feeling creative, I'm open to some general submissions for other potential Friends, Allies, or Monsters of the Week. I ask that you please send those suggestions via PM only and not post them in the reviews. I'll be more than happy to work with you guys or answer any questions too. Otherwise, I appreciate any feedback and I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts. As always, thank you all for reading!**


	2. Benediction: Part 2

A few days later, Joe walked with Claire and Nick back toward their dormitory after class one afternoon. The leaves of the trees had just started changing colors to red and yellow while the brisk autumn air swirled gently around the three freshmen students.

"You know, right about now is when we'd be starting football practice back in high school," Nick remarked absently to the two. "To be honest, I actually kinda miss it."

"Well, maybe we can throw a football around for a little while when we get back," Joe suggested brushing a stray leaf off his short black hair, "Claire, you wanna join us?"

"Sorry, sports were never really my thing," she shrugged adjusting her glasses, "Besides, I've got a lot to study tonight."

"Oh, you're always studying," Nick said rolling his eyes, "and when you're not, you're already worrying about next week's homework assignments before we even get them."

"Well, maybe some of us here actually care about their studies," Claire shot back defensively.

"And just what's that supposed to mean?" Nick growled back.

Before Joe could even get a word in, the three students were suddenly interrupted by an older man in black clothes that approached. It was the same priest who had interrupted Professor Bishop's lecture a few days ago. In his hands was a large clasp envelope used for holding stacks of documents.

"Excuse me," the older priest said, "You are Professor Bishop's students?"

The three looked to each other, then nodded hesitantly. The priest raised a calming hand, "I apologize, my name is Father Santos, pastor of the local parish in Hyperion Falls. Professor Bishop is a colleague of mine and I was on my way to deliver some research to him. I'm in a bit of a rush today and was wondering if one of you could deliver these papers to him."

Seeing his two classmates stall and look away, Joe gave a sigh of mild annoyance, "All right, fine. I'll do it. Where can I find him?"

Father Santos pointed back toward the other side of campus, "His office is in the old Rookery Building at the east edge of the college. These are his office hours, so he should be in right now. And thank you again young man."

As the older priest hobbled off, Joe turned to his two classmates and began walking in the opposite direction, "Well, I guess I'm off to see the wizard. I'll see you two later."

Nick and Claire gave a small wave before turning back to each other and continuing their petty argument right where they had left off.

* * *

After walking for some time, Joe finally found himself at the eastern edge of the campus where many of the older buildings and historical sights of the school were located. As the light of the late afternoon sun began to wane, he looked about and caught sight of the Rookery, an old stone building shaped like a round castle turret. Compared to the locations of the other school buildings, the little tower sat off to the side looking a bit lonely and forgotten. As he approached, he was met by the sight of his classmate Izzy Herrera approaching the tower from an opposite road.

"Hey Izzy! I wasn't expecting to see you here," Joe called greeting her at the building's door.

"Oh hi Joe!" Izzy replied sheepishly, "I was just on my way to see Professor Bishop... I uh, had some questions for him about our semester term paper."

Joe gave her a questioning look before shaking his head and opening the door, "Well, I'm just delivering some mail so I won't hold you up. Let's go."

As they entered the tower's front door, they could see that the reddish sandstone of the building had faded while many corners of the edifice appeared to be worn with age.

"My Professor, I love what you've done with the place," Hale muttered quietly to himself as the two ascended a narrow spiraling staircase to Professor Bishop's office.

When they finally reached the top, they came to an old wooden door and gave a knock. From behind the door, there were sounds of surprised movements and shuffling before they finally heard the voice of their teacher, "The door is open. Come in."

Hesitantly, Izzy opened the door and entered the lonely office. Despite the shabby unkempt appearance of the rest of the Rookery, Professor Bishop's office was fairly roomy, organized and inviting. In the corner was some comfortable looking reclining furniture as well as several bookshelves with old manuscripts in them. Lining the room were other interesting looking artifacts and eclectic pieces of art.

Professor Bishop looked up from the paperwork at his desk and gave a surprised but warm smile, "Mr. Hale... Miss Herrera… from my history class, right?"

"Yes sir," Joe answered carefully, still looking about the room in wonder. "This place is amazing."

"You think so, huh?" Bishop muttered, "I was more under the impression that the university just forgot about this tower… but I admit, it still has its charm."

Bishop noticed his students' surprise before giving a little laugh, "I'm sorry for the mess. I'm generally not used to having students even come to visit during office hours. What can I do for you two?"

Joe held out the large clasp envelope and handed it to Bishop, "I was asked to deliver this to you by a priest… I think he said his name was Father Santos."

"Ah, yes." Bishop reluctantly sighed tossing the envelope to the side of his desk, "More Latin translations and medieval texts to sort through. The old man never quits."

"Sounds kinda interesting," Joe remarked, "Old Church scriptures maybe?"

"Something like that," Professor Bishop said studying the two students for a long moment. After a brief silence, his lip curled into a small smile, "I don't suppose you two would like to see what I'm working on?"

Pulling out a wooden box, Gabriel Bishop opened it to reveal 5 large key shaped objects made of brass. Although they looked ancient, they bore intricate symbols and sigils, along with a stylized wing motif near the top of the key. At the heads of the keys were old faded gemstones, each with a different color. After taking a moment to marvel at the artifacts, Izzy turned to her professor, "What are they?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet." Bishop admitted. "I've taken to calling them Keyrunes. The Church had actually given these to me for study and it seems convinced that they have some kind of religious significance."

Joe caught the tone in Bishop's voice before asking, "But what do you think they are?"

Bishop gave both his students a conspiratorial grin and pulled out a notebook full of personal study notes. "Based on some scattered historical and archeological evidence, I have a theory that these objects are linked to an ancient race of people... winged people with supernatural powers and abilities. Tell me, do either of you believe in angels?"

"What? Angels?" Izzy asked in shock, "I… don't know. I guess I was raised to believe in them, but… it's not like I have any proof that says they don't exist either."

"That's what I've been trying to tell many of my colleagues," Bishop sighed, "but they don't seem to want to even entertain the thought."

Joe forced a polite smile and exchanged a look with Izzy, thinking that Claire probably was right. Either something weird was going on around here, or everyone in this school was just plain crazy. "Well Professor, it's getting late. I should probably get going and start in on my homework."

As he turned to leave, the three heard a scuttling sound coming from nearby the professor's desk. As Izzy looked over to where the wooden box with the Keyrunes sat, her eyes went wide in horror at the sight of a little black creature with wings scooping them up. The little imp had leathery skin and gave a grin that was both mischievous and grotesque at the same time.

"Eww! What the hell is that thing?" Izzy cried jumping backward and grabbing Joe's sleeve.

Professor Bishop turned in surprise toward the little imp and shouted angrily, "Hey! Drop it! Get away from there!"

Grabbing an umbrella from a nearby coat-rack, Bishop began furiously swinging it at the creature. Giving a raspberry with his tongue, the little imp nimbly dodged the blows and bounced about the room, taunting the three humans.

"Don't let him get away!" the professor shouted, prompting Joe to dive forward and try to tackle the little monster. As the young man missed and crashed headfirst into a bookshelf, the imp cackled and seemingly burst into a thick cloud of black foul smelling smoke.

Joe, Izzy, and Professor Bishop sputtered and coughed as the black cloud quickly dissipated, the imp nowhere to be seen. Glancing over to his side, Professor Bishop gasped in shock as he rushed over to the now open window. Sticking his head out, he looked around and caught sight of the imp scrambling down the side of the tower with the Keyrunes.

"Uh oh..." the imp cried in its squeaky little voice as it redoubled its efforts to escape.

Turning back to his students with a stern look, Professor Bishop began hurrying out the door, "Both of you, go back to your dorms and lock the doors. Stay inside and don't go anywhere tonight."

"Wait! Professor!" Joe called but his teacher charged past him down the stairs to give chase to the imp in the growing twilight.

The two students sat in stunned silence for a minute before Joe rose to his feet and started for the door. Izzy gave a panicked look, "Hey! Where are you going?"

"I'm going to help Professor Bishop," Joe said quickly, "We need to stop that... thing. Besides, those keys seemed really important, whatever they are."

"Are you nuts?" Izzy protested, "What if there are more of those creatures out there?"

Joe sighed, "I'll be careful. Listen, something is going on around here and I'm going to get to the bottom of it. Izzy, you should head back to the dorm and tell the others from our class. If I don't meet you guys at the main quad in one hour, then you can all come looking for me."

With that, he took off running down the stairs and into the darkness after his teacher and the thieving imp.

* * *

Meanwhile, Professor Gabriel Bishop charged into the nearby woods at the edge of campus. Not far ahead of him, he could hear the jingling sounds of the Keyrunes and he spotted the form of the little imp scurrying through the brush.

"You won't get away you little bastard!" the professor shouted as he broke through a nearby tree line and dove forward, catching the monster. Tearing the Keyrunes from its small grip, he gave it a furious kick, punting the little creature further into the clearing. As he looked up though, Professor Bishop froze and his blood went cold. There in the fading light of the clearing, he could see the large form of a fearsome monster that seemed to be waiting for the imp.

As the sniveling little creature hid behind the large demon's leg, Belial fixed his furious gaze on the startled professor. "You there! Human!" it called in a booming voice, "Give me those Keyrunes!"

Bishop tucked them back into his sweater and slowly tried to back away, "I know what you are demon. I know all about you, and I won't let you have them!"

Belial gave a snarl and raised his clawed hand, "Then I will just have to take them from you!"

In a flash, a jagged bolt of forked lightning erupted from his claw and exploded nearby Professor Bishop, violently throwing the man backwards. As the stunned teacher scrambled amid the haze of smoke, he could make out another form quickly rush out from the dark tree line and try to help him up saying, "Professor, are you ok?"

Joe Hale hurried over to his teacher's side and stopped a moment as he saw the demon Belial in the twilight, then froze in terror.

"No way..." the young man stammered with wide fearful eyes. His attention came crashing back as Bishop reached into his sweater and shoved the five Keyrunes in his student's hand. "Joe! Take the Keyrunes and run! Don't let that demon get them."

"Demon? I... what?" Joe gasped in terrified confusion as he kept trying to pull his teacher to his feet. Instead, Professor Bishop gave him a shove back toward the campus, "Don't argue with me! Go now!"

Joe gave a hurried nod and took off running back toward the campus as the demon roared again in fury and began to give chase.

* * *

Back on the school campus, Nick rubbed cold hands as he restlessly paced around the fountain at the north end of the school's quad. Claire sat on a nearby bench idly paging through a textbook while Izzy sat next to her pulling her pink sweater closer to ward off the early evening's chill.

"I still don't see why you had to drag all of us out here into the cold," Danny sighed to Izzy as he reclined along the fountain's edge while texting on his phone.

"Aren't you worried at all about what's going on around here?" Nick scolded him, "One of our teachers and friends might be in trouble!"

"Friends? We all still barely know each other," Claire said without looking up from her book. "Besides, I highly doubt there's something supernatural running around the school."

Izzy frowned and shivered, "I'm not making this up you guys! We really did see a monster."

Nick grimaced and checked the time on his phone, "Well, it's almost been an hour now."

As he said that, the four freshmen caught sight of several bright flashes of light and streaks of fire erupting from the other side of the campus. They stood transfixed by the unusual sight until they heard several panicked cries of students and faculty who had been attending evening classes. As more streaks of fire erupted, the four watched in shock as a small crowd of terrified students swarmed into the quad, fleeing past them.

"What the hell is going on?" Nick gasped looking around, trying to make sense of the calamity. Moments later, Danny squinted and pointed in the near distance, "Look! Over there!"

The four turned to see a familiar red track jacket dashing into the quad at a full sprint. While another fire blast exploded nearby, the four rushed out into the grass and stopped their panicked classmate.

"Joe! What's happening? Where is Professor Bishop?" Izzy cried fearfully.

"There's no time! Just start running!" Joe panted, trying to push the others toward safety.

Just then, the large form of a monster rounded the corner of a building and fixed its eyes on the five students.

"There you are," it laughed, "Did you really think you could run from a demon?"

"Did he just say… demon?" Claire gasped in disbelief.

Before the others could react, the demon waved its arm and unleashed another crackling bolt of lightning, scattering the five young people and throwing them down in a violent explosion.

As the smoke cleared and small fires burned on the quad, the five dazed students struggled to rise as the demon slowly approached. Squinting through the smoke, Joe caught sight of the Keyrunes that had been scattered on the ground and he reached out to grab the one nearest him, the one with a red gem. "Everyone… grab the keys! Don't let that monster get a hold of them!" he coughed.

The other four reached out and grabbed the other keys nearby and suddenly stared in wonder as the artifacts began to glow.

Upon seeing the colorful glowing lights intensify, Belial halted in his tracks and recoiled in sudden fear. "Not again!"

The five students rose slowly, holding the glowing Keyrunes upward as the wings on the keys opened. In a radiant flash, they felt a powerful surge of energy flow through them. As the light faded, five majestic Power Rangers stood ready. They were adorned in different colors, but unified by the white and gold trim of an angelic design that faintly resembled the armor of the ancient Roman soldiers.

As they confronted the demon, each of them could almost sense the instinctive knowledge and experience of some ancient warrior deep within the recesses of their minds.

"Is this really happening?" Claire asked aloud taking in her white uniform, "We look like Power Rangers…"

"Wow! I feel incredible," the green clad Nick exclaimed, flexing his limbs enthusiastically.

"And I look incredible," Izzy remarked, marveling at her pink suit "The professor was right. Those keys really are magic."

"We'll worry about that later," Joe called stepping forward to face the monster, "Right now, people are in danger and we're the only ones who can stop that thing."

Danny turned to his classmate, "Are you even sure about this?"

"No," the Red Ranger said glancing to the Blue Ranger, "but we have to try. Are you all ready?"

The others formed up together and gave tense nods as Belial approached and summoned a small platoon of red skinned monstrous humanoids. "Go, Magogs! Destroy them!"

As the gibbering Magog soldiers charged forward, the celestial Rangers instinctively moved in unison, drawing their side-arms: silver gladius short swords with golden pommels. "Feather Sabers!"

In a flash, the Rangers collided with the Magog minions and tore through them with their weapons. With superhuman speed, Danny parried aside several spear attacks from his foes and slipped past their guards to deliver punishing counter thrusts that broke their armor. Nearby, Nick barreled into another group of the Magogs, taking broad powerful slashes and grappling other nearby enemies with more of a brawling fighting style.

Across the quad, Claire and Izzy fought together to fend off the enemies. Claire used her speed and agility to fight defensively and sidestep several of the Magogs' strikes, as she saw Izzy tumble through several more foes with the grace of an Olympic gymnast and land at her side. Turning to stand back to back, the two girls swiftly drew golden energy pistols with the call of "Feather Stingers!"

In an instant, they opened fire on the Magogs, taking them out with a volley of golden blaster fire.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the quad, the Red Ranger wove through the furious melee, deflecting blows from the Magogs while deftly counter attacking. As the remaining minions gathered to try and rush Joe, the Red Ranger took a high leap backwards into the air and summoned a pair of bright angelic wings. In an instant, he dove forward and mowed them all down in a powerful swooping strike.

As the last of the Magogs fell, exploding into clouds of fire and ash, the demon Belial advanced with a growl, "Useless creatures. I'll just have to destroy you myself."

Regrouping, the Rangers swiftly reached for their Keyrunes in unison and inserted them into the pommels of their short swords calling, "Astral Armament!"

As the Keyrunes locked into place, each of the Rangers' gladius blades transformed into greater weapons in a flash of light.

The demon paused in surprise as the Red Ranger leveled a shining saber sword and rushed forward, "Let's finish this quickly!"

Belial took an awkward swing at the agile Ranger, but Joe parried the demon's claw and landed a powerful counter strike infused with the blazing element of fire. As Joe tumbled away, Belial was struck by a volley of icy elemental bolts from the White Ranger's bow. Claire gave a grin and fired again, striking the monster's legs and freezing them to the ground. As Belial roared and tried to free his frozen feet, Nick leapt forward and pounded a large two handed hammer into the ground. The resulting strike sent a shockwave of dirt and earth, which slammed into the demon and sent it reeling.

Scrambling to his feet, Belial growled and fired off another thunderbolt from his claws, but Danny stepped in and caught the lightning with the edge of a brilliant blue spear. Driving the spearhead into the ground to dissipate the electricity, he braced himself as Izzy leapt off his shoulders and delivered a flying strike with a rapier that kicked up a small vortex of wind.

The demon roared again and shook the dirt from its eyes as the small whirlwind dissipated. To Belial's horror, all five Rangers now stood with their Feather Stinger pistols leveled at him. "Ready on three!" Joe called.

"Three!" the other Rangers immediately answered as they all unloaded a merciless barrage of blaster fire.

Belial roared in fury as he keeled over backwards and exploded into a large fireball while the Rangers lowered their weapons. Powering down, the five returned to their original forms. "I can't believe it! We did it!" Danny laughed deliriously. Nick and Izzy gave loud cheers and exchanged a relieved hug while Claire stood motionless in shock.

Joe glanced down in wonder to the Keyrune in his hand, before examining the ruins of the quad and the spots where several small fires kept burning in the grass. "That did not just happen." he whispered to himself, vainly wishing he could convince himself of that statement.

As the new Rangers stood together in silence for a long moment, they turned when they heard the shuffling of feet. From the shadows and dim light of the dying fires, the five Rangers gasped as they saw the ragged form of Professor Bishop limping toward them. Despite the dirt and ash covering him, he wore a proud smile on his face and gestured for his students to come. Looking to each other for a moment, the five Rangers began walking toward Gabriel Bishop, praying that their professor would be able to explain exactly what was going on.


	3. Identity Crisis

**A/N: I already posted this in Chapter 1, but I feel I should reiterate it one more time.**

 **This story contains some imagery and motifs inspired from Judeo-Christian mythology. I have no intentions to offend anyone, nor do I want to promote any sort of religious biases or agendas in this story. While the Powers are angelic in appearance, they are derived from elemental power and the magic of an ancient race. I will reveal all in time, but I only ask for all readers to be open-minded, patient, and most importantly, respectful toward each other.**

 **Special thanks go to** ** _JediPrime_** **for bringing this to my attention as well as all of you readers for your continued support and understanding.** **Thank you all.**

* * *

Warm yellow light crackled from the nearby fireplace as the 5 new Power Rangers stood assembled in the tower office of Professor Bishop. Each one of the students looked exhausted and dirty, still trying to come to grips with the idea of having defeated a terrifying monster. Professor Bishop reclined in his leather arm chair and grunted from the pain of his bruises sustained earlier in the evening. A silence settled over the room as Claire handed Bishop a cup of hot tea.

Standing by the fire, the tall slender form of Danny turned and held up his blue Keyrune, "Professor, I think it's time you told us exactly what is going on around here. Joe and Izzy said you may have an idea what these things are and why they turned us into... I don't even know what."

"You mean Power Rangers?" Nick interjected while Claire shook her head to herself.

"No. That's impossible. I mean... yes, they exist in the world, but the sheer probability of us having anything to do with Power Rangers is, well... really unlikely."

"In that case, I'd better buy a lottery ticket tonight." Joe quipped tiredly from a nearby couch.

Professor Bishop cleared his throat, "Nick is right Claire. What I saw tonight has only confirmed my suspicions about the Keyrunes."

"So what are you saying?" Izzy suddenly asked, "That we're part of some religious war now?"

Bishop shook his head and reached for his notes. "No. Let me try to explain. Some time ago, historians and archeologists uncovered remnants of an unknown civilization dating back to antiquity. Based upon what I've gathered from some old tablets, this race of ancient people called the Empyrians were unusually gifted and wise. Early humans claimed that these Empyrian people could fly and call forth the elements from their fingertips. I believed that those Keyrunes were artifacts of those people, or maybe even belonged to some of their warriors."

"That kinda explains why the Church would be interested in the Keyrunes then," Joe said thoughtfully, "because benevolent winged people helps to support their narrative."

"Or the narratives that people in authority want us to believe." Bishop added, "Like I said, many modern scholars don't want to admit these records even exist."

"But that still doesn't explain the monster," Claire added with a shiver.

Bishop grimaced, "All I know is that a great disaster brought about the downfall of the Empyrians. There was a powerful figure named Gideon who led an army of monsters called the Cambion. They fought the Empyrians, but were all driven into some prison called the Abyss.

"Well, it seems like there's been a jailbreak," Danny muttered sarcastically, "What happened to the Empyrians?"

Bishop shrugged, "No one knows. They just kind of disappeared. It's always been my belief that the five artifacts you have now are, forgive the pun, the keys to unlocking that mystery."

The five students sat in silence staring at the professor in the firelight for a long moment. If he had told them this before tonight, they probably would have thought he was crazy like everyone else... but fate was strange that way.

"When we became... Power Rangers," Izzy began hesitantly, "It was almost like I knew what to do out there. When we fought or moved, it felt like we were acting on natural instincts."

The others nodded quietly as Bishop gave a thoughtful frown, "Perhaps the magic of the Empyrians? Or maybe knowledge left over from the Keyrunes' previous owners?"

"But why us?" Claire asked aloud, "Of all people, none of us are really anyone important."

"Well, the Keyrunes seem to think we're important enough." Nick answered.

From the couch, Joe crossed his arms pensively, "Whatever the case is, these Cambion monsters are loose and we may have to do something about it."

"Are you serious?" Danny exclaimed indignantly, "There are other teams of Power Rangers out there in the world. Why can't they take care of it?"

"Do you see any of them lining up to help right now?" Joe countered with a grave look, "Whether we like it or not, we are responsible for the Keyrunes now and that might mean accepting the duty of finishing what the Empyrians started."

The room fell silent again before Danny shook his head and left the room, "Unbelievable. You're all insane."

Professor Bishop sighed, "It's been a long night. It's probably best you all get some sleep. We can worry more about this tomorrow."

The Rangers gave tired nods and shuffled out of the room in silence as Bishop glanced over to his desk. Still sitting on the corner of it was the large envelope of research that Santos had left for him. Opening the envelope, Bishop pulled out the papers and quietly began to read.

* * *

That Saturday morning, Nick Adler ambled down into the dormitory cafeteria and rubbed his eyes sleepily. He was still dressed in his pajama bottoms and blearily shuffled through the breakfast line. Amid the chatter of other students, he heard a nearby television reporting on the calamity that struck the campus last night. According to the news, several gas lines had exploded causing numerous fires and hysterical accounts from hallucinating people. As he left the line, he could see Joe and Izzy sitting at a nearby table, and he went to join them. They were dressed in casual weekend clothes and seemed to be debating on some topic.

"I might have to rethink this Power Ranger business," Nick said sitting down and gesturing to the TV. "Seems like we don't even exist."

"That's because we haven't established our identity yet!" Izzy grinned quietly as she pulled out a notebook and handed it to Nick. "Check this out."

Nick looked to her quizzically as Joe stirred his bowl of cereal with a patient sigh, "Izzy seems to think that if we're going to be superheroes, we need an official team name and image."

Nick glanced at the notebook, "Angel Force? Feather Five? Sky Fighters? Uh... Iz, I'm sorry, but these names are kinda dumb."

"I'm working on it!" she huffed snatching the book back.

"I don't suppose you've seen Claire or Danny have you?" Joe asked his roommate as he finished his own meal. "I haven't seen them come down for breakfast."

Nick shook his head, "I haven't seen them since last night, but they both seemed really bothered by the idea of becoming Rangers. I can't say I'm exactly thrilled either, but you have to admit that it is pretty exciting, and we look pretty cool too."

"I know what you mean," Izzy sighed thoughtfully, "Now if only my other clothes could show off my curves as well as that pink Ranger suit..."

Both the boys' faces momentarily went red at the thought before Joe cleared his throat and he rose from the table trying to maintain some dignity, "Well, I think I know where Claire might be. I'll go talk to her and make sure everything is ok."

Nick gave a nod, "If we see Danny, we'll try to make sure he's on the same page too."

As Joe left the cafeteria, Nick turned to Izzy, "Now let's get back to work on that name. Who knows when the next monster will show up?"

* * *

Meanwhile, in a dark swirling plane of reality far removed from Earth, the monster Gideon stood, looking out into the Abyss from his dark prison tower. The massive turret was made of black stone and completely bound by miles of magical silver chains engraved with Empyrian runes. Outside dark elemental forces of pure Chaos magic swirled and roiled violently in a storm lit only by the occasional flash of lightning.

Gideon turned from his window and went to sit down at his black throne where two demons stood waiting to attend him. One was a large powerful figure with bulky menacingly shaped black armor. The demonic warrior had a scarred face and snarled restlessly as he gripped a large fearsome battleaxe. The other attendant, a female creature in a gray flowing dress. Her skin was pale and she wore an ornate golden headpiece with a crest that covered her eyes. In a way, she looked almost like a mockery of angelic beauty.

As the princely monster folded back his six twisted wings to sit, the warlord attendant turned to Gideon with a growl, "Master Gideon, Belial has been destroyed in battle. There is rumor that the five Empyrian guardians have returned."

Gideon gave a look of almost complete indifference, "I have seen that, General Abaddon. Belial was a fool who outlived his usefulness a long time ago. When the seal that binds us to the Abyss has worn away, it won't much matter anymore."

"But what of the Empyrian Keyrunes?" the female demon asked. "Surely their owners will oppose you again."

Gideon waved a hand, "I will send another servant to deal with them Shemhazai. The humans of earth will suffer for their arrogance in thinking they could inherit the legacy of the Empyrians... one which rightly belongs to the Cambions."

* * *

Later that morning, Claire Li sat by herself in a second floor corner of the University library. It was a big stone building and while the architecture appeared somewhat Gothic on the outside, the inside had been modernized with state of the art computers and study rooms. Giving a sigh, Claire removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes as she closed her thick science book. It was useless. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate, her mind kept going back to what happened yesterday night. Her gaze repeatedly drifted out the window toward the quad where she and her classmates had engaged in an unbelievable battle. As she undid the ponytail in her hair and leaned her head back, she was startled when she heard her name being called.

"Claire? Hey! There you are. I've been looking for you," Joe called coming over from the aisle.

Claire sat up in surprise and blew several stray strands of dark hair out of her face. Sitting across from her was their new Red Ranger. Unlike most of the stereotypical Red Rangers known, he wasn't built like a football linebacker that awed others with their striking good looks or charismatic personality. Instead, Claire found it odd that their Red Ranger was a very soft spoken and average looking person with more of a lean athletic build... and probably more common sense than the average hot blooded heroes who wore typically wore the red.

Joe gave an amused smile as his brown eyes drifted over toward her homework and books. "Taking refuge in the mundane huh? Can't say I blame you."

Claire shuffled her books and papers aside in embarrassment, "Oh, sorry about the mess. I probably look like one too right now."

Joe shrugged with a playful grin, "Suddenly worried about your appearance? Sounds like Izzy is rubbing off on you after all."

Claire frowned slightly and gave a huff tying up her hair and putting her glasses back on. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I wanted to talk about last night." Joe answered taking a quick glance around.

"There's nothing to talk about." Claire said quickly crossing her arms defensively. "We saved the school. Battle is over. End of story."

"Except it's not," Joe said giving her a pointed look. "If some other creature comes to attack the city, we're all going to have to be able to count on each other and work together. That means you too."

"I didn't ask to be a Power Ranger Joe," Claire hissed, "Besides, I can't call home and go, hey Mom and Dad, my first week of college went great! I met a bunch of wacky people, fought a horrific monster, and became a Power Ranger!"

"Well, it's not any easier for me either," Joe replied. "The rational part of me agrees with you and Danny... that this is all insane. But, there's another part of me that kinda wants this too."

Claire gave him an incredulous look, "Really? Why?"

Joe gave a sheepish look, "This is gonna sound really stupid, but do you know why I want to go to school and become a lawyer?"

Claire shrugged, "Money? Status?... Chicks?"

Joe gave her a reproving frown before shaking his head, "All those things are great I guess, but no. I want to fight for others and do good by them."

"So you've got some kind of hero complex, huh?" Claire retorted raising an eyebrow.

Joe sighed in frustration and shook his head, "I know it sounds corny, but no. There's a reason."

At that moment, a passing librarian interrupted him with a shushing sound and a reproachful frown. Joe waited for the librarian to pass before lowering his voice and looking away with a sigh.

"When I was younger, my dad was a pretty successful businessman with a big firm... until he blew the whistle on his company. Despite what people say about whistle-blowing laws, my dad got buried in legal actions when the company decided to get revenge on him. That always bothered me and I remember how hard it was for him and my mom to get back on their feet."

"I'm sorry," Claire said suddenly, "I had no idea."

"Well, it's all in the past now," Joe replied offhandedly. "But maybe being a Ranger is part of that calling... I don't know. What I do know, is that Nick, Izzy, and I can't do this alone. We need you guys and I'd like you and Danny to join us. What do you say Claire?"

Claire looked to him for a long moment before her expression softened slightly. Reaching out, she took his hand and shook it with a sigh. "If my grades start slipping from being a Ranger, I swear I'll never let you hear the end of it."

The two broke out into a small mutual grin before they rose from the table. "Come on." Joe said, Let's go see if the others managed to talk some sense into Danny."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Thanks again to everyone for reading and I'll try to update again soon. In the mean time, to all my fellow readers and authors from the U.S., have a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend! Happy Birthday America!**


	4. Vanguard, Take Flight!

Late morning sunlight sparkled over the blue pond as Danny Winthrope skipped another stone over the surface of the water. After the chaotic events that had happened the other day, Danny wanted to be alone and found himself wandering through a small local park at the south edge of the university. As he reached for another stone in his pocket, he stopped as he pulled out his blue Keyrune and studied it. To think, this little ancient device had turned him into a Power Ranger. He couldn't help but wonder for a minute what other powers, or dangers the artifact contained and he took a long moment to consider throwing it into the water too.

At that moment, he was snapped back to attention as he heard his name being called from behind. He turned as he saw Nick and Izzy approach, their shoes crunching on some of the dead fallen leaves.

"Hey," Nick said walking up to his classmate, "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Sorry. I guess I just needed some space." Danny sighed tucking the Keyrune back into the inner pocket of his blue blazer.

"Thinking about last night too, huh?" Izzy asked gently as she brushed a few stray leaves from her long brown hair.

"Kinda hard not to," Danny replied turning to look back over the still waters of the pond. "I'm guessing you're here to try and talk me into joining the team?"

"Well... he's smarter than he looks," Nick quipped sarcastically crossing his arms. "What do you say Dan? Are you in?"

Danny frowned, "Have you two even thought about what this means? We've just gotten caught up in some ancient struggle that we have nothing to do with and we know next to nothing about. Are you really going to be so quick to possibly lose your life over that?"

Nick narrowed his eyes, "The rest of us don't exactly have all the answers either. But we do know that people's lives are at stake and they might get hurt if we do nothing. Hell, maybe everyone we love if these demons have their way with things."

Izzy nodded her head, "The Keyrunes chose us for a reason Danny. Why they did, is anyone's guess. But until we figure that out, we have to the power to do something about it... and the obligation to do something too."

Danny looked to her for a moment before giving a pained expression. "I'm sorry. I can't join you."

Nick furrowed his brow in frustration and strode over, giving Danny a hard shove that knocked him to the ground. "I can't believe you Danny! You really want to just give up so easily and say to hell with everyone and the world? Fine then! Go ahead! Lay there and be selfish! We don't need someone who doesn't care."

"Of course I care!" Danny shouted back angrily as he sat up. "You really think I want a bunch of evil monsters to destroy everything?"

"Then why don't you want to join us?" Izzy asked quietly stepping forward to join Nick.

Danny grimaced again before speaking, his voice unusually emotional and uncertain, "Because I'm afraid... really afraid. Because for once in my life, I don't have a good answer for all this. I don't know what to do... and I hate it."

Izzy knelt down and put a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Well, neither do we. We're all scared, but I know Professor Bishop will help us figure something out in time. Besides, I'm sure other Power Rangers have had their doubts or fears too."

Danny considered her words and nodded, "Yeah... I guess you're right."

Nick sighed with a softer expression and reached down, hoisting Danny up with one powerful arm. "Sorry about that." he muttered quietly.

"Well..." Danny began slowly sliding an arm around Izzy's shoulder, "I guess if we're going to be Rangers, it's only logical that we should stick together... so we don't get scared, right?"

Izzy groaned and gave him a hard shove, knocking him back down into a pile of leaves as Nick's cell phone went off. As Izzy began berating Danny for his lecherous ways in the background, Nick answered his phone. "Oh hey... yeah we found him. Everything is fine... I think. Ok, we'll be there soon. Bye."

Izzy and Danny stopped and looked on curiously as Nick turned to them, "That was Joe. He and Claire want us to meet them at the Rookery. Sounds like Professor Bishop needs to tell us something. Let's go."

* * *

A little while later, all five Rangers assembled at Professor Bishop's office within the Rookery Tower. Although the tower itself was a little unkempt, it was out of the way enough that they figured it could serve a reasonable home base for now. As the five young people curiously gathered around the main desk, their teacher sat back in his chair. He looked haggard and exhausted, as if he hadn't even rested or cleaned up from last night. Scratching his whiskers and turning his bloodshot eyes on them, he pushed a portfolio in front of the Rangers.

"Thanks for coming everyone. I wanted to tell you that I was working on something after you all left last night."

Izzy glanced at the papers on his desk and asked, "Aren't those the same papers that Joe delivered to you yesterday?"

Bishop nodded with a tired smile, "Yes. It turns out the research that Father Santos had given me will be more valuable to us now, then it ever was before."

"What are you taking about Professor?" Claire asked impatiently trying to peek at the papers.

Bishop picked up the papers officiously, "This recent stack of research is a treasure trove of Empyrian lore. I've only been able to make sense of a tiny fraction of it, but it looks to be related to the original users of the Keyrunes...the Empyrian Rangers."

Everyone's eyes went wide as Bishop showed them a sheet of paper with a circular combination of Empyrian sigils. "This key combination of sigils looks like it was used to summon some sort of powerful weapon. What that is, I'm not too sure yet."

"A super weapon? Awesome!" Nick grinned excitedly, "What else do you have?"

Bishop gave an apologetic shrug and closed his other notes, "I'm afraid that's it for now. These translations will take a lot of time and I haven't slept since I found this out."

Meanwhile, Joe held his red keyrune out and thoughtfully examined the ornate sigils engraved around it. Sure enough, it looked as if turning different areas of the key could produce numerous sigil combinations. "That's ok Professor. Every little bit of knowledge or weapon we can discover will be a big help. Thank you."

As they turned to leave, Claire stopped as her smart phone began to buzz and light up. Glancing at the screen, she checked her news updates and her eyes went wide in panic. "Everyone! There's trouble. Is there a TV anywhere here?"

Everyone looked about in confusion as Professor Bishop grabbed a remote control from his desk drawer and pointed it a corner of the office. As the television lit up, everyone quickly gathered around to see a shocking sight.

On the screen was a breaking news report coming from above the city of Hyperion Falls. As the news chopper circled around, the Rangers could see columns of black smoke rising from the small skyline of the buildings while the view focused down to near street level of one of the city's outer districts. Striding amid a stretch of ruined concrete and a crowd of fleeing people was another Cambion demon. He looked gaunt and sallow while carrying a twisted staff, almost like some kind of zombie wizard. Here and there, small groups of Magog soldiers scrambled about, smashing windows of storefronts and terrorizing people.

"Not again..." Claire murmured in dread as Danny gave a subdued quip.

"Looks like those Cambion demons are sore losers and itching for a rematch."

Nick pounded his fist in his other hand, "Well, let's oblige and pull out that new weapon on em then!"

Joe kept watching the screen with a solemn expression as everyone turned to him. "Uh, what?"

Izzy nudged his arm, "Well, you're the Red Ranger now. Typically everyone kinda follows their lead, right?"

He looked to her incredulously for a moment before turning to the expectant faces of the others. "You're really sure about this?"

The others nodded as Professor Bishop smiled grimly, "I think the team has made their decision."

"All right then," Joe said grimly clutching his Keyrune, "From here on out, it's going to be up to us to protect our city. Whether we like it or not, this is our fight now and the only way we're going to win is by doing this together. Are you all with me?"

Everyone nodded, encouraged by the resolute words. Professor Bishop glanced up to the top of the Rookery. "It seems the Keyrunes had the power to grant you all limited flight. If you take off from the top of the Rookery, you should be able to make it into the city in no time."

"Wait!" Izzy cried stopping everyone. The Rangers stopped to turn impatiently as she shoved her notepad in front of them. "If we're really going to go into battle as a team, we have to do it right this time. Nick and I thought you guys should see this."

Joe began looking at the notepad while the others gathered around. As they read, a bright smile began to grow on the Red Ranger's face. "Nice job Iz. I think this will work just fine."

* * *

As the fires burned and people of Hyperion Falls continued to flee in terror, the demon sorcerer Arhiman threw his head back to the sky and gave a loud laugh. The ghoulish looking monster pounded his thick twisted staff into the ground and continued trudging forward in his demonic armor, which had corroded to a rusty blood red color. It had taken some effort by his Master Gideon to get him across the seal that warded earth from the Abyss, but Ahriman was surprised that it had been so easy to attack this human city. It had been many centuries since he had seen the filthy creatures cowering in huts made of wood and clay. To see the humans now within tall buildings of glass… made him sick. He would make his master proud and start by punishing these mortals for their arrogance.

As the demon continued forward, he stopped as a powerful gust of wind blew by him and his Magog foot soldiers.

"That's far enough monster!" the powerful voice of Nick Adler rang out. The demons turned and looked around to see the figures of five young people standing in the way. As they stood in the middle of the ruined street, each of the heroes regarded the monsters with quiet determination and focus. Looking over the new heroes with contempt, Ahriman gave a mocking laugh, "So you're the five children who defeated Belial in battle? It must have been a pretty pathetic fight. Now get out of my way before you really get hurt."

Joe brandished his Keyrune in a defiant challenge, "If you want to destroy Hyperion Falls, then you're going to have to go through us to do it! Everyone?"

In unison, the other Rangers pulled out their Keyrunes and twirled them quickly along their fingers. In a circular arm motion, the Rangers raised their Keyrunes to the sky while Arhriman growled and fired off a barrage of fireballs with his staff. As the magic of the Keyrunes activated, glowing circular wards surrounded the Rangers and deflected the demon's fiery projectiles.

Ahriman and the Magogs recoiled for a moment from the brilliant light as five majestic Power Rangers stood in place of the students.

"I don't believe it! The Empyrian Rangers…" the demon sorcerer growled in surprise.

The Red Ranger held up a fist in reply as a cool breeze began to gust and the light of the sun broke through the smoke, "No! The Empyrians may have been the world's first defenders, but we're the new Vanguard. Everyone, let's tell them who we are!"

"The Radiant Torch, Vanguard Red!"

"The Swirling Tempest, Vanguard Blue!"

"The Rumbling Mountain, Vanguard Green!"

"The Stinging Blizzard, Vanguard White!"

"The Dancing Whirlwind, Vanguard Pink!"

"Power Rangers!" they chorused together taking a group stance amid the dazzling light of the bright sun and clear blue skies above.

"I don't care who you are!" Ahriman roared, I'll wipe you out too."

Quickly calling the weapons of their Astral Armament, the Red Ranger pointed his saber forward, "Vanguard! Take Flight!"

To the demons' complete shock, all five Rangers took off together with their shining summoned wings and charged forward, attacking from all directions at once. Amid the debris and fire of the district's ruined street, a furious melee erupted between the Vanguard Rangers and the Cambion foot soldiers.

Danny charged first into the fray, lancing through several Magogs with his spear, before twisting the other end of the weapon to ward off a blow and swat away another minion. Following the Blue Ranger's lead, Claire stayed close and used her bow to deflect several attacks from Magog spears and swords. As she saw her ally throw back several minions with water charged strikes, she raised her bow and hit the wet Magogs with her ice bolts, freezing them all completely. With another spinning strike, Danny shattered the frozen foot soldiers and exchanged an enthusiastic high five with the White Ranger.

Nearby, Joe and Izzy fought together, cutting through the ranks of Magogs with their blades. Despite the numerical advantage, the attacks of the Cambion troops were parried and countered by the swift sword fighters. As the two Rangers drove back their opponents, they found themselves surrounded on three sides from fires on the street and boxed in by the Magogs. Pulling out her Keyrune, Izzy looked to Joe, "Going up?"

In a swift motion Joe sheathed his saber and scooped up the Pink Ranger, taking to the sky with a high winged jump as she used her Keyrune to call up a powerful whirlwind. The cyclone momentarily kicked up the flames and incinerated the Magogs in a fiery tornado. As the fires died out, the two Rangers descended gently and recovered their footing, giving each other a mutual thumbs up.

At the other end of the street, Nick plowed his way through the remaining Magogs, easily swatting them aside with his powerful warhammer. As he locked weapons with Ahriman, Nick shifted his weight and turned aside his enemy's staff. Spinning on his heel, Nick hauled back and sent the demon sorcerer flying with a reverse backspin strike.

The other Rangers regrouped as Ahriman furiously rose to his feet. "Insolent humans! Take this!"

The sorcerer pointed his staff and unleashed another barrage of fireballs but the three male Rangers stood firm and deflected the blasts with their weapons. Breaking formation, the boys turned aside as the girls returned fire with their bow and Feather Stinger pistol.

"This guy isn't going down as easy," Danny commented as Ahriman slowly began rising to his feet again.

"All right. Time to use that new weapon professor Bishop showed us." Joe answered turning some of the sigils on his Keyrune. The others followed suit and in a flash, their weapons dematerialized and reformed into what looked like a huge ornate crossbow made of gold, their Radiant Arbalest.

Ahriman froze in surprise as the Rangers regrouped and formed up around the Arbalest. "What sorcery is this?"

Each of the Rangers locked their Keyrunes into the weapon and took aim. As they did, a great crossbow bolt of white hot light formed and began to light up the entire street. "Radiant Arbalest, Fire!" the Rangers shouted together, unleashing the burst of light.

Ahriman raised his arms and tried to ward off the bolt of light for a few moments. He gave a roar as the bolt penetrated his defenses and blew clean through his armor causing the demon to explode into a great blast of fire and ash. Lowering the Arbalest, all five Rangers pumped their fists to the sky and let out excited cheers of relief and joy.

As the smoke and fire began dying down, citizens of Hyperion Falls began to peek out of their hiding places and caught sight of the five Rangers gathering together. News cameras and citizens alike watched in awed wonder as the five Rangers sprouted wings of light and took off quickly into the sky, disappearing behind some low hanging clouds. After what had happened today, the Vanguard Rangers were certain the news reports would start to become very different from now on, but for the moment, they would be content with a glorious victory.

* * *

Later that afternoon, the five Rangers returned to the Rookery and gathered to find their professor had fallen asleep in his chair from exhaustion. With a small smile, Danny took a pen and scribbled a note for Bishop. "Dear Teach, we saved the world again. Please give us extensions on tomorrow's homework assignment. Thanks. - Danny"

Deciding to let their teacher sleep, the five exhausted students made their way out of the tower and prepared to walk back to their dormitory together. The skies were bright and clear and the cool autumn air was refreshing after that furious fight.

"Well, I guess we're official now." Claire said with a faint smile, enjoying the moment of peace and quiet. "Power Rangers Vanguard."

"It does has a nice ring to it," Joe added with a thoughtful smile, "We've got a name and a headquarters... we're just missing one thing though."

"Oh? What's that?" Nick asked curiously.

Joe grinned, "A place to blow off some steam and celebrate. I think as my first official act as leader, I move to party tonight!"

The other Rangers laughed and gave cheers of agreement as they continued walking down the road together. Despite everything they had been through the past few days... the darkness, the demons, and learning of the ancient struggle with the Cambions, they had survived. Tonight, the Rangers decided to enjoy their victory by focusing on the present, and for the first time this week, it had never looked so bright.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Thanks again to everyone for reading and commenting already, especially as we begin heading into the season proper. I couldn't do it without you guys. Extra special shout out goes to my buddy _Kuro no_ _okami 23_. He sent me an awesome idea for a monster that will be featured in the next installment, so thanks again man, and stay tuned everyone. The Vanguard has taken flight!**


	5. The Ranger Who Cried Wolf

**A/N:**  
 **All right, sorry for the minor delay in updates everyone. You can thank work and real life for that one. While this series is intended as a leisurely side project for PR hiatus and season breaks, I'll do my best to try and maintain a semi regular update schedule. Thanks again, and enjoy!**

* * *

The demon warlord Abaddon slammed his heavy gauntlet against the heavy stone walls of the Dark Prison Spire. Outside, the darkness and lightning of the Abyss continued to swirl as the general turned back from the window toward the inner throne where dim lights flickered from ancient eldritch torches.

"Those worms with the Empyrian Keyrunes have defeated another one of your servants Master Gideon. Yet, we continue to sit here while they grow stronger!"

From the foot of the throne, a female Cambion gave a sinister smile and a mocking laugh, "Is the great General Abaddon telling us he is afraid of a few human children?"

"Do not mock me Shemhazai," Abaddon snarled, "I didn't become the greatest of the Cambion warriors by being timid!"

"Enough," the master of the two demons said with an authoritative voice. "I am aware of these new Vanguard Rangers, but they pose little threat to us."

Abaddon turned his head curiously toward the dark throne where his master Gideon sat. The large fallen angel had a powerful build and six grey twisted wings folded elegantly. While the winged human bore strikingly beautiful and patrician features, there was still a sinister air of dark power about him.

"These lesser Cambions we send are but our own vanguard. Whenever they inflict misery and calamity among the humans, the seal holding us in this Abyss continues to weaken. Sacrificing a few lesser servants to lay the groundwork for our return is but a trivial price to pay General. Those human children are not the same Empyrian warriors who put us here, so until then, we will bide our time."

Abaddon growled and stood down, "Who would you have me send then, Master?"

Gideon gave a thoughtful smile, "I have already sent Cerberus, one of your prized war mastiffs. With his maddening touch, the humans will devolve into berserk mobs and further weaken our prison."

General Abaddon sputtered, "But Master, what if Cerberus should meet the same fate as Ahriman or Belial?"

Gideon laughed lightly, "He will not. He has been branded by a Cambion sigil, one which will revive and empower him should he fall."

Abaddon gave a grudging nod and turned back to face the window. He supposed for now he would remain quiet and accept the situation. It's not like he or any of the other Cambion demons had much of a choice anyway.

* * *

Late morning sunlight streamed in from the bright windows as Danny Winthrope read a newspaper and reclined upon a comfortable couch in one of the dormitory's common rooms. "Hey Claire!" he called out, "Check out this story, there's been a rash of people in the city getting bitten or scratched by some big dog. Must be a slow news week, huh?"

At a nearby table, his classmate and fellow Ranger Claire Li sat hunched over an electronic device with a frown. As she poked around the circuit boards and wires, she gave a yelp as one of the wires erupted in a cloud of sparks that stung her fingers.

Gingerly holding her hand, Claire gave another frown over toward her classmate on the couch, "You know, I really wish you had followed my directions Danny. The wiring job you did on this was so haphazard!"

"You asked me to help wire your little device up while you were in class and that's what I did." Danny answered idly flipping a page, "I just glossed over the needless details. It still works, doesn't it?"

"Not very well," Claire grumbled carefully poking at another wire. "The signal output is very inconsistent."

"Just what are you working on anyway?" the Blue Ranger asked.

"It's a transmitter for ultrasonic radio waves," Claire answered absently, "I'm hoping I can enter this in a science contest later in the month."

"So what are you going to do with it? Contact space aliens or something?" Danny sniggered.

Claire shrugged fiddling with another wire, "I don't know, dogs can be really sensitive to sound. Maybe I can use it to scare you away."

As she zapped herself again, the common room door opened and Joe entered with an angry look. The Red Ranger marched over to where Danny lay and slapped a small stack of papers on the coffee table.

"Is there a problem?" Danny calmly asked looking up from his newspaper.

Joe pushed the papers in front of him quickly, "Yes, there's a problem! I just got your email this morning! Is this… outline what you intend to hand in for our team research project?"

"I was looking at the big picture buddy." Danny shrugged, "It's still got all the major points across."

"It's not even coordinated with my half of the project!" Joe cried in exasperation, "Were you even paying attention to me when we went over the plan a few weeks ago?"

"We still have two days left," Danny sighed getting back to his paper, "I'm sure we can just touch it up in the meantime."

Joe stared at the Blue Ranger in outrage before turning to Claire, "I'm going to kill him."

"Take a number. I have first dibs," Claire sighed as she continued working on her science project.

At that moment, Nick and Izzy walked into the common room, bundled up in heavy green and pink jackets with their teeth still chattering. Nick marched right over to the couch and tilted it, dumping the startled Blue Ranger on the floor as Izzy stood over him with her hands on her hips, "What the hell Danny? Where were you this morning?"

Danny screwed his face in thought, trying to remember what he was getting yelled at for when Izzy continued, "You were supposed to be at the Student Union this morning to get those Halloween Party tickets… remember?"

Nick turned to the others and explained, "Danny was the only one with no class this morning so we asked him to get all of us tickets to go to that big Halloween Party later this week."

"Except he didn't show," Izzy added, "By the time Nick and I got to the ticket office, there was a huge line and we were waiting for about two hours in the cold!"

"I was going to get around to it," Danny said defensively, "As long as it was done by today, right?"

"We told you if you went later, there wouldd be a line!" Nick answered, "Were you even listening to us at dinner yesterday?"

Danny backpedaled a little, "Oh come on guys, I'm sorry. Don't you think you're all overreacting a little bit here?"

The other four Rangers stood in silence fixing him with angry glares when Joe's cell phone went off. Looking down, he quickly checked the text message before turning to the others, "Everyone, that was Professor Bishop. We have trouble in the city."

Forgetting their previous frustrations, the Rangers hurried out of the common room and headed for the roof of their dorm building, reaching for the Keyrunes in their pockets. It had been several weeks since the students' first initiation as Power Rangers, and it seemed their Cambion adversaries weren't quite ready to just give up yet either.

* * *

Meanwhile, another one of Hyperion Falls' outlying districts found its streets devolving into chaos and confusion as a small crowd of people scrambled for safety. From a narrow alley, a huge black dog with thick black skin and fiery red eyes smashed through bricks and gave a deep ferocious bark. The giant dog had a large and freakishly muscular build and hot ash was left on the pavement where it walked.

As the Cambion hell hound named Cerberus sent a mailbox flying with a shoulder check, it swiped its claws at several civilians. The terrified people were sent flying and had their clothes torn by the superficial scratches of the monster's claws. Amid the fleeing people, several local police officers pulled up in a car and opened fire with their pistols, but it had little effect on the monstrous dog.

Cerberus growled as the bullets deflected off its hide, and it turned toward a large pole holding up some traffic lights. Taking one big chomp with its razor sharp teeth, the metal pole split and crashed down on the police car, sending the cops scattering in panic. While the police fled in fear, the five morphed Vanguard Rangers arrived, carried on one of the Pink Ranger's powerful summoned wind gusts.

Taking a moment to look around, they took in the situation and saw a score of injured people lying on the ground with scratches from the hound's claws. "What is that thing?" Nick exclaimed in awe as Cerberus finished rooting around an overturned dumpster and grabbed a nearby car with its jaws. Turning its head, the beast hurled the car like a toy and it smashed on the ground not to far from where the Rangers stood.

"Bad dog..." Joe muttered shaking his head and drawing his Feather Stinger pistol. "All right everyone, let's try to draw that thing away from the civilian center."

The five Rangers got into a flanking position and let loose a volley of blaster fire. Cerberus growled in fury as the hail of golden blaster fire struck him, erupting in a cloud of sparks and small scorch marks on his tough hide.

Turning quickly toward his attackers ,the hell hound gave a powerful snarl and generated two more identical heads. In a flash, it let loose a corrosive cloud of ash from its three mouths which scorched nearby cars and debris.

"Huh. That's really freaky... but also kinda cool." Danny exclaimed as Claire pulled him toward momentary cover with the others.

As the Rangers took a moment to hide under cover, they huddled up, "Ok. What now?" Izzy asked, "Our blasters aren't getting through."

"You really want to take that thing on hand to hand?" Joe asked back in uncertainty.

Just then, their cover was smashed away as Cerberus sniffed them out and chomped through the concrete pylon they were using as cover.

"Guess we don't have much choice now," Nick groaned as he and the other two male Rangers leapt up to grapple and struggle with each of Cerberus's three heads. As the three struggled, Claire called on her bow and began to take aim, concentrating a great deal of elemental ice energy into a single arrow. At the last moment, Izzy shouted a warning and the three male Rangers let go to dive safely away. The icy arrow struck Cerberus in one of its side heads and the devil dog gave a wounded yelp as the burst of ice exploded, momentarily neutralizing its fire breath.

Shaking off the attack, the center head gave a low deep howl that resonated along the street and to the Rangers' surprise, the people who had been injured by Cerberus's scratches rose up with a crazed look in their eyes. Many of the people grabbed fallen rocks and metal pipes, then began coming after the Rangers like some pack of crazed rioters.

"Oh, not good." Claire gasped deflecting a blow from one of the crazed citizens.

Turning to her side, she saw the Red Ranger put a citizen in a headlock and call out, "We have to restrain these people, but don't hurt them!"

Each of the Rangers leapt into action to try and disarm or restrain the rioting people, except Danny. As his other allies held off the rioting people, he glanced over to watch Cerberus for a long moment. To his surprise, the heads of the dog focused their attention on the people and became less aggressive. Was the monster maybe focusing to try and control those people?

Seeing the Rangers thoroughly distracted, Cerberus turned and quickly stalked off into the shadows of a nearby alley, most likely to recover from the wound Claire had inflicted on it. Once out of range, the rioting people stopped and froze before fainting to the ground in exhaustion.

"What the heck is going on here?" Izzy asked checking to make sure that one of the fainted victims was still alive and breathing.

"Whatever it is, we'd better go talk to the Professor later." Claire added tapping the Pink Ranger on the shoulder to tell her that more police and paramedics were on their way.

Across the street, Danny continued to stand in place looking to where Cerberus had disappeared before he was given a shove by Nick, "What's the deal Dan? You've been standing around here the whole time while we were under attack."

"I was watching that dog thing!" Danny protested as Joe stepped in to restrain Nick, "Didn't you guys notice how strange it was acting just now?"

"With everything that's gone on today, you're suddenly telling me you're paying attention to details now?" the Red Ranger asked in a stern but level tone.

"Come on Joe!" Dan begged, "Will you guys just listen to me for a minute?"

The Red Ranger turned away and gestured to the others, "Now is not the time Danny. We've got to head back to campus."

Danny sputtered as his fellow Vanguard Rangers all shook their heads at him and called on their wings. The Blue Ranger watched as the others quickly took off into the skies before taking one last glance at the ruined street and reluctantly following his friends home.


	6. The Swirling Tempest

Later that afternoon, the Vanguard Rangers gathered at Professor Bishop's office within the college's old Rookery building to discuss their most recent run in with the Cambion monster. After hearing of the encounter, the young professor sat at the edge of his old oak desk and gave a thoughtful frown,

"Hmm. That does seem troubling. It sounds like the creature is some kind of Cerberus, straight out of Greek mythology."

"Do you think the Arbalest would be able to penetrate that thing's hide?" Nick asked aloud to everyone, "I mean, it basically shrugged off our Stinger shots like they were nothing."

Izzy shrugged and gave Claire a little pat on the shoulder, "Maybe, but at least Claire was able to injure it... for now."

Claire grimaced as she turned to the team's mentor, "Professor, is there any way we can learn more about these things we're up against? There's gotta be some kind of database, or written records of those Cambion monsters, right?"

Bishop slowly rose and crossed the room to fetch a file from his shelf. He opened the file and the Rangers gathered around as he spoke.

"I've been learning quite a bit from these Empyrian texts and they mention that the Cambion lord Gideon had two lieutenants- Abaddon and Shemhazai. These two generals each commanded a loyal legion of monsters that reflected their unique approaches toward conquest: Abaddon's through direct force of arms, and Shemhazai through trickery and manipulation."

"Well in that case, I'd guess the dog belongs to Abaddon," Joe pointed out from near the window. "There's nothing subtle about a beast with three heads and one bad attitude."

"How appropriate," Izzy muttered in agreement, "Halloween is coming up and now we've got a giant devil dog on the loose. So, did Cerberus have any known weaknesses?"

Professor Bishop circled back around to his desk and sighed, "Well, if the Greek myths are to be believed, Cerberus could be pacified with music or cakes, but I doubt that will really be effective now. What worries me more is the effect that it seemed to have on those people. It's like the dog was marking its territory or servants with those scratches."

From over on the couch, Danny finally spoke up, "Professor, I noticed that the monster seemed to become more vulnerable and focused when it was controlling those people. Do you suppose that's relevant at all?"

Professor Bishop shrugged, "Maybe, but the question becomes how to attack the beast if it starts using other humans as decoys again?"

"Well, have you uncovered any new weapons from those texts that we can use?" Danny asked hopefully, but Bishop shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. I've kinda hit a roadblock with translating right now. But in the mean time, you five should go and keep an eye out for the people who had been injured by the dog. Maybe their behavior will shed light on the creature."

With that, Nick led the others out the door, "Great. I just hope there's a vaccine shot for demon rabies out there."

As the others departed, Danny stayed behind in Bishop's office while the professor sat back behind his desk and began sorting through his papers. The Blue Ranger shifted on the old couch awkwardly and scratched at his short sandy brown hair trying to kill time while the other Rangers left.

After a long silence, Bishop looked up calmly from his work with an amused smile, "Is everything ok, Danny?"

The young man forced a smile and readjusted the collar of his white shirt underneath his blue blazer. "Everything is fine Professor. What makes you say that?"

Bishop shrugged, "Well, unless you really want to sit around here with me and go over moldy texts, you seem to be avoiding the others."

Danny sighed, "To be honest Professor, the others are kinda mad at me. I really screwed up today, and I can't say I really blame them either."

For a few minutes, the Blue Ranger went on and told his teacher about everything that had happened while Bishop listened patiently.

When Danny had finished, Bishop leaned back in his chair and gave a kind smile, "Do you want to know what I think? I think you're a very sharp kid Danny. I can tell by your grades, and when I listen to you speak. The problem is, you think you're too smart sometimes."

Danny frowned a moment, "Ok professor, you kinda lost me there. I don't understand."

"What I mean, is that you don't listen sometimes and disregard everyone else's input, or ways of doing things." Bishop answered patiently, "It's really easy to just do things your way and mistakenly dismiss everyone else as unimportant."

Danny shrugged, "But Professor, what about you? You said that lots of your other colleagues around here just dismiss your research and theories. You don't seem to care."

"But that doesn't mean I don't listen to them," Bishop corrected his student. "They may have their differing opinions, but their individual knowledge and talents are still valuable to me, especially in those areas where I'm weak. Hell, I'm not always right either, so I'd be kind of a fool not to consider their criticism, right?"

"Well, when you put it that way…" Danny muttered, "I guess you have a point there."

Bishop gave him a smile, "Listen Danny, I still get what you're saying. For one thing, you're a guy who likes to look at the big picture and not get bogged down in the details. It's a perfectly valid approach to things. All I'm saying is be a little more open minded. Sometimes, other people like your Ranger friends may have some valuable things to contribute too."

Danny nodded and took a long moment to consider Bishop's words. His teacher was right, and the least he could do was to start by making amends for the things he could right now. Rising from the couch, he turned and headed out the door, "Thanks again Professor. If this History thing doesn't pan out, I think you'd do pretty well teaching a Psychology course."

"Thanks," Bishop chuckled, "But I think I'll take my chances here. Keyrunes and Power Rangers are a lot more exciting anyway."

The two exchanged a smile as Danny left and Bishop turned back to the work on his desk. As he began to study five large sigil groupings that were stumping him, Danny's philosophy came to mind: _L_ ook _at the bigger picture and don't get distracted by the details._

As he continued to study at the page, Bishop's eyes lit up and a wide smile began to form on his lips. Picking up a pen, Bishop took a fresh sheet of paper and began to furiously write down some notes.

* * *

The next morning, Danny rubbed his eyes and gave a sleepy yawn as he left the dormitory and took a short walk into the nearby campus town. A brisk October wind blew lightly and helped to wake him up after spending all night working on the contents of the thick folder under his arm. As he turned into a less busy side street lined with orange colored tree leaves, Danny passed by several other students and entered The Mugshot, one of the most popular local coffee houses.

The room was warm and inviting with the smell of fresh brewing coffee and festive autumn decorations. Amid the bustle and chatter of other students, Danny spotted Joe and Claire hanging out at a corner table drinking coffee and chatting quietly. The two turned in surprise as Danny came over and gave a sheepish wave, "Hey. Mind if I join you two for a minute?"

Joe and Claire looked at each other for a moment before nodding and pulling up another chair for him, "What's up Dan?"

The Blue Ranger took a seat and put his thick folder on the table, "Listen guys, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about yesterday. I had a little chat with Professor Bishop and realized I probably should have worked a little better with you two. I kinda like doing things my own way, but I guess paying attention to the details has some value too."

"Thanks Danny, that's really good of you," Claire replied taking another sip of her coffee. "Though I guess we were a little harsh on you too yesterday."

Danny shook his head, "Nah. I probably deserved a little kick in the ass, which is why I wanted to start by making amends."

With that, he slid the folder over to Joe. The Red Ranger picked it up curiously and began to page through its contents, "What's all this?"

"A complete overhaul of our term project," Danny yawned, "I stayed up last night and redid everything, including all the formatting and annotations that I left out before."

Joe put down the folder and nodded with a warmer smile, "It looks like good work Dan. Thank you."

Danny turned to Claire, "As for you, I took your transmitter and brought it over to the school lab so it could be cleaned up and fine tuned before the science fair."

"Thanks Danny," the White Ranger, smiled back, "Now I'm really sorry for calling you a dog yesterday."

"So am I forgiven?" Danny asked them hopefully as he prepared to order a coffee too.

Before they could answer, Claire's phone sounded. Joe and Dan exchanged a quick look as Claire answered the phone and turned back to them, "It's Izzy. Fido is on the loose again."

"All right then. Let's get a move on," Joe said rising from the table and leaving his coffee behind.

As the other two Rangers stood up, Danny continued to sit, quickly thinking over Claire's last statement about dogs.

"Hey Dan, you coming?" the White Ranger prompted him, but Danny shook his head. "You two go ahead, I'll meet up with everyone soon. I've got an idea… just trust me."

Joe gave Danny a firm look, as if trying to make a decision before finally nodding, "Make it quick. We're counting on you."

The three Rangers hurried out of the coffee house and Danny took off running in the opposite direction back to campus. Bishop was right, his friends had given him a good idea and all he had to do was listen. As he continued running down the street, Danny Winthrope was determined not to let the other Rangers down again.

* * *

Some time later, the Cambion hell hound Cerberus made its way through the Central Park of the city. Frightened people began fleeing from the area as the beast let out a loud warning bark, knocking over some gates and benches with its large body. Stalking around the central area of the park, Cerberus made its way toward the large three tiered fountain located there and began to lap up water.

As the last of the civilians evacuated the immediate area, the four other Vanguard Rangers arrived to survey the chaos.

"Well, at least this time we're clear of innocent people," Claire noted.

Izzy took a moment to look around before turning to the others, "Hey, where's Danny?"

"He's on his way," Joe quickly replied stepping forward and pulling out his Keyrune. "In the mean time, we have a dog to house-train."

The other Rangers brandished their Keyrunes and gave a call as they rushed forward in shimmering colored light, "Vanguard, Ascend!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Danny burst through the doors of the university's science annex and rushed toward the lab where he had taken Claire's ultrasonic transmitter. Finding the room empty, Danny pushed aside desks and tables to find the device fully rewired and polished up for presentation.

"Yes! Perfect!" he panted to himself, swiping a battery off the counter and hooking everything together. Stuffing the device inside his backpack, Danny scrambled out of the science annex and into the main quad, hoping he would be able to make it to his friends in time.

As he began to run from the quad, he skidded to a halt as he heard his name being called from across the lawn. The Blue Ranger turned in surprise to see Professor Bishop rushing across the grass, excitedly waving a sheet of paper in the air, "Danny! There you are! Wait!"

Danny growled and bounced on his heels as his teacher caught up to him, "Hey Professor, I'm kind of in a rush here. We've got a little monster situation."

"Which is exactly why you're going to need these new sigil combinations," Bishop huffed handing the translated paper over to his student. "I took your advice of looking at the bigger picture and I think it helped to figure out how to summon some new weapons."

Danny stopped in surprise and looked to Bishop with a small smile, "Wait. That was my doing? You got that idea from listening to me?"

"It's not going to do us much good if you don't hurry," Bishop answered, continuing to catch his breath, "Go Danny! The other Rangers will need you!"

The Blue Ranger gave a determined nod and put the paper in his backpack too. Grabbing his Keyrune, he took off running, mentally preparing himself for the coming battle.

* * *

Back in the city, Cerberus gave a furious roar as Joe and Nick struggled against two of its heads. The hound played a furious tug of war with two male Rangers biting down on their melee weapons. Turning its head quickly and letting go, Cerberus sent Joe and Nick flying into the bushes as the third head warded off Claire's ice arrows with its fire breath.

"This is not looking good," Nick growled, digging himself out of the shrubs and pulling his roommate free too.

As the Green Ranger spoke, Cerberus gave another deep baying howl and got down on its haunches. The Rangers regrouped and paused, waiting for several tense moments before another small crowd of people with scratch marks gathered around the hell hound to answer its call.

Despite the fierce look on the people's faces, they stayed close to Cerberus, acting as a sort of body shield, but ready to attack if the Rangers approached.

"Great. What now?" Izzy groaned in worry.

"Don't worry your pretty little head Iz. I'll save you!" Danny called out, answering her. The other Rangers turned in surprise as a fully morphed Blue Ranger calmly approached holding Claire's ultrasonic transmitter."

"Danny! Where have you been?" Izzy exclaimed.

"Never mind that," Claire cried out in horror as she pushed the Pink Ranger aside, "Is that my transmitter?"

"Sorry Claire, I'm just borrowing it for now." Danny replied, "You reminded me that dogs are sensitive to high pitched sound. I figured this might work to wreck Cerberus's concentration."

Turning on the device and cranking it up, the Blue Ranger watched as the huge demon dog gave a yelp and fell to its knees. As its three heads began thrashing in disoriented confusion, the people under Cerberus's control broke free of the spell and fainted, unharmed by the sonic waves themselves.

"All right! Brilliant!" Nick cheered as Cerberus continued to recoil from the transmitter and stumble in a daze.

Calling his spear, Danny charged the spearhead with swirling blue water energy and let go of the transmitter. "All right Rin-Tin-Tin, I've had about enough of you. I'm going to put you down for good now."

As Cerberus stumbled again, Danny rushed forward and brought his charged weapon around in several punishing strikes. His sweeping blows flowed together like violent waves of an ocean storm before he turned the spear in and drove it straight into the throat of the hound's central head, blasting its insides with more water magic.

Pulling the spear out, Danny turned proudly as Cerberus keeled over and exploded into a cloud of fire and ash while the other Rangers gave cheers of encouragement.

As the Rangers regrouped, Nick shook Danny by the shoulders. "Nice job man! You really took it to em!"

"He's right," Joe happily added giving the Blue Ranger a fist bump, "That was great thinking Danny."

Nearby, Claire suddenly gave a horrified cry as she knelt down over the ruins of her transmitter that had been smashed in the battle. "Oh no!"

The others turned to stare as the little White Ranger slowly looked at Danny, "My science fair project is wrecked!"

"Now Claire, it was all for the greater good…" Danny began but Claire leapt up and began to slap at his helmet.

"You big dummy! You are so dead Winthrope! You hear me?" Claire sputtered in anger as Nick reached over and picked up the petite flailing Ranger by the arms to restrain her.

Claire's outburst was cut short though as Gideon's Cambion sigil activated from Cerberus's remains. The Rangers stopped in shock as a dark cloud erupted from the remains and reanimated it into a colossal monster with an even more fearsome appearance.

"Oh come on!" Joe exclaimed in bemusement. "That is so not fair!"

"Relax," Danny said tapping the Red Ranger's shoulder and holding up Bishop's new notes, "I've got this under control."

Stepping forward Danny said "The professor gave us some new sigil combinations that might come in handy about now. Just follow my lead."

Taking their Keyrunes, the Rangers adjusted the sigils to a new combination and watched in awe as several powerful titans descended from the clouds to aid them. For a moment, the giant Cerberus froze to see a charging pack of large mechanical beasts led by a screaming red griffin. Following close behind were a blue manta ray, a green bear, a white wolf, and a pink kestrel.

"Those were the Empyrian war machines huh?" Nick gasped, "Awesome!"

"Every self respecting Power Ranger needs a cool zord right?" Danny laughed as the girls cheered and waved to their new allies.

"Then let's keep up the momentum," Joe nodded retaking the lead and holding his Keyrune high. The others followed suit and found themselves teleported into the forward cockpits of their new mechanical allies.

Acting in concert with their new zords and the knowledge of their Keyrunes, the Rangers maneuvered the machines together and watched as the creatures seamlessly combined into the winged Vanguard Megazord. As the Megazord's lower body planted its green feet firmly on the ground, its blue and white arms locked into its red griffin body and swiveled in ready anticipation for a fight. Near the crown of the Megazord's head the pink kestral landed and spread its wings into a small halo over the head.

"We're right in the middle of the city," Izzy pointed out, "We have to be careful."

"All right," the Red Ranger answered taking his controls and prompting the others to focus. "Let's make this quick then."

Cerberus roared at his new challenger and opened up with a barrage of fire blasts from its three heads. In an instant, the Vanguard Megazord unfolded its blue manta ray arm into a shield and charged forward, deflecting the fireballs. Bringing its other clawed wolf arm around, the Megazord landed a furious combination of blows on the demon dog, sending it reeling backwards.

As the beast stumbled on the ground, the Vanguard Megazord took off into the sky with its wings and charged them with glowing golden energy.

"Let's finish it now!" the Red Ranger called, backed by the others as the Megazord dove down from the sky like lightning and spread its wings. Before Cerberus knew what hit it, the Megazord's glowing wings bisected it in a swooping strike as it made a sliding landing along the ground. From the cockpit, the Rangers gave a victorious cheer and high fives as Cerberus slumped over once and for all before exploding into smoke and ash.

"These zords are too cool!" Izzy laughed, "Professor B. really came through on this one."

"And so did our boy in blue over there," Nick added, giving Danny a thumbs-up across the way.

The Blue Ranger beamed and returned the thumbs up as the Vanguard Megazord disassembled and restored the Rangers to the ground. The Rangers watched in awe as the Empyrian zords took off into the skies, ready to return when summoned. After the celestial beasts departed, Joe took a long moment to examine the area where Cerberus had been destroyed again.

"Everything ok?" Danny asked walking over.

The Red Ranger shrugged, "It just seems like the Cambion are playing hardball now. I'm just worried about what they may try to throw at us next."

Danny gave him a clap on the shoulder, "Well… for today, let's not sweat the small stuff and just be happy that things worked out."

Joe smiled and gave a nod as Danny took off into the golden light of late afternoon skies, gesturing for the others to come along, "Come on! I'll race you guys home!"

* * *

A few days later, the Rangers gathered in their dormitory common room after dinner, preparing to get ready for the school sponsored Halloween Party at the Student Union later that night. After having become Power Rangers and adjusting to the changes of leading a double life, the five decided it would be best to spend more time together and really try to bond more, starting with the Halloween party tonight.

As the other Rangers chatted, Danny sat on his favorite couch reading the newspaper, only this time he was dressed as a pirate.

"Oh come on. Cheer up Claire," Nick grinned. He was dressed as Frankenstein and he playfully tweaked the cute cat ears that the White Ranger wore on her head. "You can always try entering that science contest again next year."

Joe zipped up his Ghostbusters jumpsuit and plopped down on the couch next to her. Putting a friendly arm around her shoulders, he smiled and gave a gentle squeeze, "Nick is right. If it wasn't for your transmitter, we might not be going out to this party tonight at all. What do say we go out instead and just have a little fun tonight?"

Claire sighed and nodded before giving her two friends a small smile, "Ok. Sure."

Turning toward the couch, she called, "I guess I can forgive you Danny."

"You're welcome," he replied absently, his head still buried in the paper.

The others looked to each other for a moment in confusion as Claire spoke again, "I said I forgive you. Are you even paying attention Danny?"

"That's cool," the Blue Ranger replied flipping another page, much to his friends' chagrin.

At that moment, Izzy burst through the door pulling curlers out of her hair in a hurry, "Sorry everyone! I'll be ready in a few minutes. I promise. I just can't decide which costume to go with tonight... Little Red Riding Hood or the Sexy Witch."

Danny flipped the newspaper down and turned toward the door on full alert, "I vote for the Sexy Witch."

In an instant, the other three Rangers groaned and tossed their nearby pillows and cushions at him.

"What? What did I say?" the Blue Ranger asked as the other Rangers got up and walked out of the room. Giving a shrug, Danny picked his newspaper back up. As he continued to read, he couldn't help but break out into a bright smile and start to laugh, glad that things were truly back to "normal" again with his friends.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **And that concludes "Episode 3." I hope you all enjoyed it! As always, feel free to comment and/or contribute any ideas too. Again, special thanks go to _kuro no okami 23_ for the hell hound idea. No other animals were harmed in the making of this fanfic... except for one really really evil demon dog. Thanks again for reading!**


	7. In the Eye of the Beholder

**Episode 4 (Part 1)**

* * *

Isabel Herrera nervously paced about her dorm room and stopped to check her pink cell phone on her desk. Finding no new messages, the Pink Ranger impatiently shook her head and ambled over toward her window. From her vantage point on the third floor of the dorm, she could see the gentle lights of Hyperion University's campus town warmly glowing in the darkness of the chilly evening outside. As she continued to pace, she mentally reminded herself how glad she was that today was Thursday and she had only one more class scheduled for tomorrow.

Turning to her laptop, she considered sitting down and checking her email for the hundredth time today when her phone suddenly buzzed. She scrambled over and swiped it to read the text message. After a long pause, she gave a bright smile and pumped her fist in the air.

"Yes!" she cried doing a little happy dance on her rug before hurrying out of her room and across the narrow hallway toward the mens' wing of the dormitory.

She headed down the men's hallway until she came to a room with an open door. She smiled as she glanced at the dry erase board on the door giving dramatic warnings of the "Black Hole's" gravity. It had been the affectionate name given to Joe and Nick's room as more often than not, the five Rangers tended to casually congregate there the most.

As Izzy entered, she found Joe and Nick sitting on the Green Ranger's bed with video game controllers in their hands. The two friends looked up a moment to greet her as they turned back to their heated one on one game of Halo on the screen. Nearby, Claire lazily sprawled on Joe's bed reading a book and occasionally looked up to comment on the action.

"Damn dude, you suck at this game," Nick taunted with a laugh as Joe's player character got blown up again, prompting the Red Ranger to curse out loud. Turning to the Pink Ranger, Nick smiled, "So what's up Iz?"

Izzy walked over and sat nearby Claire, still wearing her big smile, "Great news everyone! You remember those sororities I was rushing for? I just got a call back from my first pick, Eta Omicron Epsilon **(*)**. They selected me to advance toward formal recruitment."

"Congrats Iz," Joe chimed in with a smile as he got payback on Nick, causing his roommate to growl. "I know you've been talking about getting into that one for a while now."

Izzy gave her friends a hopeful look, "And, that's where I was wondering if I could ask you all to help me out."

The other three Rangers looked to her as she continued, "Part of the recruitment involves a social event where each of us are required to bring a few friends. There's a party tomorrow and I was wondering if you'd all like to go as my guests."

From the bed, Claire furrowed her brow, "I don't know Iz, you really think we'd fit in with that crowd? We'll probably be surrounded by a bunch of prissy sorority girls and horny frat boy types... basically all the kinds of people I hated in high school."

"Of course you'll fit in!" Izzy exclaimed, "If anything, I'll be bringing the coolest people of all! How many people can say their friends are all Power Rangers, right?"

"A nice compliment Iz, but we still keep that little detail under wraps," Joe reminded her gently.

Nick chimed in, "Besides Claire, Izzy is our friend and she's asking for a little help. We're all free tomorrow so who knows? It could be fun."

"So you'll help?" Izzy asked.

"As long as the sorority doesn't interfere with Ranger duty, I don't see why not." Joe pointed out.

All of a sudden, Nick used the momentary distraction to cheap shot Joe and win the game. "God damn it Nick! You dirty cheater!" The Red Ranger cried in surprised outrage.

"Bro, forget Ranger duty for a minute." the victorious Green Ranger grinned, "Think about it. We're getting a free pass to a party with a ton of hot sorority girls."

"Did someone say sorority party?" Danny smiled as he walked in the door with impeccable timing.

As the three boys began to laugh among themselves and make lewd jokes, Claire sighed and turned to a bemused Izzy, "I guess I'll have to go now. If you want to make a good impression, someone else has got to make sure our boys behave themselves."

* * *

Meanwhile, within the dark confines of his prison spire, the arch-demon Gideon gazed out his balcony into the churning storms of the Abyss. As he stared out into the void, he closed his eyes and let the storms once again dredge up the memories from the recesses of his mind. Even if it had been several thousand years ago, Gideon could still remember everything vividly.

He could remember the floating continent of Eden that he and his fellow Empyrians had once called home. He cherished its natural beauty and the majesty of its cities. But his heart ached as he also remembered the Fall. There had been terrible flames as the floating continent was torn asunder and crashed back down into the Earth. Gideon could still hear the sounds of brutal fighting between his own Empyrian bretheren, and the burning hatred he still felt for the mortal human race that had caused the strife within their Paradise.

But where their once proud angelic race had gone extinct, the Cambion still remained. Despite having been twisted and warped by the natural chaos of the Abyss, the demons had all been Empyrians once before. They had survived and evolved, and it wouldn't be long before they would be free to reclaim their rightful dominion over Earth from their lowly human cousins.

Gideon's thoughts were interrupted as another figure entered the throne room. Without turning around, the arch-demon spoke in a calm and level voice, "What favor have you come to ask for now Shemhazai?"

The female Cambion in white silk robes bowed graciously, "Lord Gideon, I've come only with a wish to serve. General Abaddon's servants have failed you and I wish to offer the service of my own legion."

Gideon turned around and regarded her with a curious look, "And how were you going to put them to use?"

Shemhazai smirked, "My lord, the General's crude way of relying on brute force may sometimes be effective, but it still has its limits. I suggest we terrorize the humans and disorient them so they are unable to mount a defense the next time. With your blessing, I believe I have just the servant who can do that, an Eye Golem by the name of Oculus."

Gideon gave a dark smile and turned back toward the window, "If you are so confident, then make it so Shemhazai, and pray that you do not fail me as well."

* * *

That Friday night, the five Rangers all met outside the Eta Omicron Sorority House wearing dressy evening clothes.

"I feel like we're going into an interview," Nick muttered pulling some lint off his khaki pants as they were all invited inside.

"We kind of are," Joe quietly answered straightening his own red tie, "Remember, we're doing this for Izzy, so we need to make a good impression."

"When we're looking this sharp? Piece of cake." Danny smiled adjusting the collar of his dressy blue blazer.

The five friends were led inside the large living room, amazed that the place looked more like a posh mansion. The room was already crowded with other well dressed students mingling and laughing over drinks and snacks.

"Wow, look at all the pretty girls here." Nick remarked as Claire gave him a sharp nudge in the side.

"Easy there big guy, your drool is already falling on my head."

At that moment, two blonde girls approached and greeted Izzy enthusiastically, "Isabel, we're so glad you could make it. Love the dress by the way."

The Pink Ranger smiled at her short black cocktail dress with pink trim before turning to her friends, "Everyone, this is Krissy and Chelsea. They're the recruiting chairs of the sorority's executive board. And over here, are my friends Joe, Danny, Nick, and Claire."

The other Rangers gave polite smiles and waves as Krissy patted Izzy's shoulder and addressed them, "We're really impressed by your friend here, one of the top cheerleaders from her highschool and now an aspiring teacher?"

"That's our Iz," Joe answered carefully with a smile, "Brains and Beauty."

Chelsea glanced at him before giving a thoughtful look to Izzy, "We weren't expecting you to be bringing three guys along tonight. Is one of them a boyfriend maybe?"

"Well, I suppose you could say that," Danny grinned playfully putting an arm around Izzy.

The Pink Ranger suppressed a grumble and gently bumped Danny aside with her hip. Giving a diplomatic smile, she laughed, "Oh Danny, always a kidder. At least he's right about being both a boy and a friend, ha ha."

Krissy and Chelsea exchanged an amused look before gesturing them further inside, "Well, come on in. The party just started and we'd love to talk more to each of you."

* * *

Some time later, the Rangers found themselves a little separated amongst the party goers.

To her chagrin, Claire found herself amid a group of gossiping girls. While several of them playfully stroked her hair and encouraged her to rush for a sorority too, Claire nervously looked about the room, searching for her other friends. Across the way, she spotted Danny chatting up a group of people and likely telling an outrageous story based on his animated gestures and expressions. Not too far away, she could also see Nick enjoying the music and dancing with another handful of guests.

At the other end of the room, Izzy sat on a couch busy laughing and talking with a few other pledges, and looking like she was having a great time.

To Claire's relief, she spotted Joe walking by with a small plate of appetizers. "Thank goodness. Hey Joe! Over here!"

He turned and gave a wave before another girl who was rushing for the sorority stepped forward and distracted him. She was a short and very pretty brunette girl with a compact athletic build.

"Oh hey!" she smiled, "I recognize you. You're in my English class."

Joe stopped a moment and suddenly wore a dumb smile on his face, "I uh… yeah. Hi…"

"My name is Jen. Jen Kaufman," she smiled shaking his hand, "And it sounds like your name is Joe."

The Red Ranger stammered a moment, completely caught off guard before giving a nervous laugh and offering her some of the food on his plate, "Yeah, that's me."

As he and Jen walked off and began chatting more, Claire rolled her eyes and muttered to herself, "So much for our smart and sensible leader."

At that moment, she felt her phone buzzing in her purse and checked the caller ID. It was Professor Bishop. She excused herself to the bathroom to take the call while her fellow Rangers continued to socialize. A few minutes later, she emerged quickly and hurried over to Danny, whispering in his ear after he finished with his story.

The Blue Ranger grew serious and gave a nod, "Ok. You get Nick, I'll talk to Izzy."

As Claire went to fetch the Green Ranger, Danny ambled over and pulled Izzy aside for a moment, surprising her.

"What is it this time Dan?" she hissed, shooting sidelong smiles to the other party guests

"Bishop called," he said, "It looks like it's time for some extra curricular activities."

Izzy grimaced, "What? Now? I can't just up and leave."

"All right," Danny frowned pinching the bridge of his nose, "You stay here, and the four of us will go and check things out. If we need help, we'll call."

Izzy gave his hand a squeeze and mouthed a grateful "Thank you" while Nick joined the others

As they approached the door, they spotted Joe continuing to talk to Jen until Claire strode up and grabbed hold of the Red Ranger. Joe sputtered in surprised annoyance as Claire gently pulled him along using his necktie like a leash.

"Sorry about that!" Claire called to Jen with a sweet smile. "He's my ride home tonight!"

Once clear, Joe grabbed his necktie and huffed, "Seriously? What the hell Claire?"

"There's a Cambion party crasher out tonight." Nick cut in, "We'll leave Izzy on the sideline for backup,"

The Red Ranger became serious and gave an understanding nod. "All right then. We don't have any time to waste."

* * *

Elsewhere, the Eye Golem Oculus made its way through the crowded and brightly lit entertainment district of Hyperion Falls. Its chiseled body of black obsidian was covered in ancient demonic script as well as moving eyeballs that swiveled in various directions. As the creature strode forward in the chill night air, a small squad of Magog soldiers marched in his wake, overturning outdoor patio tables and terrorizing the patrons of the city's bars and clubs. Raising its arms, the eyeballs on its body fired off several dark rays of inky black energy that destroyed the brighter lights of the district while the lesser ones struck innocent bystanders, knocking them down.

Those unfortunate to be struck by a ray staggered to their feet, only to realize that they had now been blinded and their eyes had been magically collected by the golem. In place of their eyes, the victims found only two swirling motes of cloudy black energy, obscuring their vision. The added terror of losing their eyesight caused many of the citizens to stumble around blindly in the street or trip over themselves to escape.

Just then several shots of golden blaster fire erupted from the skies and struck the Magog minions, instantly destroying them. With its many eyes, Oculus glanced up to see 4 morphed Vanguard Rangers descend and dispel their wings. As they quickly holstered their Feather Stinger pistols, they drew their gladius short swords and stood barring his path.

"Gross. Is that demon covered in eyeballs?" Claire remarked in shock.

Nick shuddered a moment, "Claire's right, that is one ugly cuss,"

"Focus Rangers, we don't know what that thing is capable of." Joe called leveling his sword at the creature, "All right demon, now's your chance to stand down."

Oculus laughed, "Ah, the Vanguard pretenders. You think I'm afraid of a few lowly humans? Behold my might."

The golem raised its arms and fired off a barrage of blinding rays from its many eyes. The Rangers scattered and tumbled about in different directions to avoid the attacks. As they spread out, Nick regained his footing and attacked from one direction while Danny circled about and attacked the monster from behind.

"Fools," Oculus laughed deflecting Nick's sword strike and swatting him away with a backhand, "You really think you can sneak up on me?"

"Crap!" Danny exclaimed as he suddenly realized the monster was covered in eyes. Before the Blue Ranger could land his blow from behind, Oculus deftly sidestepped it and sent him flying with a hard kick.

Just then, a bolt of ice rang out and struck the golem, momentarily staggering it. The monster growled and turned to the White Ranger, who stood ready with her bow.

"How about I put out a couple more of your eyes?" Claire taunted as the monster laughed and turned his blasting hand toward a blinded civilian on the street.

Claire gasped and dove forward to shield the civilian as Oculus fired off two more inky shadow bursts. The White Ranger was knocked sideways from the first blast and rolled away as Joe rushed in and deflected the second blast with his short sword. Pulling his pistol again, the Red Ranger hit Oculus with a few shots to buy enough time for him to pull Claire to her feet while Danny and Nick regrouped around them.

"He's pretty tough," Nick remarked as the golem recovered and laughed again.

"If I can't take your sight, then I will still take your lives." Oculus said releasing swirling clouds of obscuring magic from its eyes like a vent.

The Rangers grouped together, surrounded by a cloud of darkness as they heard the laughter of the demon echo all around them.

"Any bright ideas?" Danny asked nervously readying his weapons.

Joe perked his head up and pulled out his Keyrune, "Just one Danny, and it's brilliant."

Raising his Keyrune high, the Red Ranger summoned a swirling halo of fire above them. The other Rangers crouched low and squinted amid the brilliant light and intense heat, only to see the fiery aurora neutralize the cloud of shadows. To everyone's shock, the demon was almost right on top of them. As the bright nimbus of fire faded, Oculus roared in pain and recoiled as the light hurt his own eyes.

Thinking quickly, Joe inserted his Keyrune into his gladius and summoned his saber sword. In one swift motion, the Red Ranger struck the demon and sent it reeling backwards with a powerful fiery blow, hoping it would ward off the enemy from his friends.

Giving another roar of pain, the wounded Oculus retreated backwards and wrapped himself in an aura of inky black energy. "This isn't over Rangers. I'll be back."

As the cloud of smoke dissipated, the demon was nowhere to be seen. Joe lowered his sword and gave a big sigh of relief as Danny put a hand on his shoulder, "Nice save buddy."

"Is everyone ok?" the Red Ranger asked taking a glance toward the rest of his friends.

"Fine, but I'm more worried about these people," Claire remarked stopping to examine a few of the demons' victims and keep them calm.

"What has that thing done to them?" Nick asked in horror seeing the shadowy motes of magic that had replaced the victims' eyes.

"Maybe the Professor will have an idea what do," Joe said surveying the now evacuated street. "Until then, let's take one lat sweep of the area before the paramedics come for these people."

They had taken a little bit of a risk leaving Izzy behind tonight, and he only hoped that they would be better prepared to face the eye golem whenever it would return next.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **(*) Eta Omicron Epsilon in the Greek alphabet roughly spells H.O.E. when translated over.**

 **I'm taking some major liberties with the college Greek system or how recruitment in frats/sororities actually works. If there are any females actually reading this story and you are also in a sorority, I apologize for poking a little fun. Trust me, it's all just for laughs.**


	8. The Dancing Whirlwind

**Episode 4: (Part 2)**

* * *

The next morning, the Vanguard Rangers gathered in the Rookery building and told Professor Bishop about their run in with Oculus the night before. After retelling their story, Izzy gave a sheepish look from the armchair she was sitting in, "I'm really sorry everyone. I had no idea you guys had such a close call last night."

Bishop crossed his arms with a solemn look, "It seems the Cambion are getting stronger, and changing their tactics. That thing was probably a servant of Shemhazai if I'd have to guess."

"Ok then," Danny mused out loud, "so if we're dealing with a smarter demon, does that mean we have to use our brains to fight it back?"

Claire shrugged, "Or maybe we could go the other route and use brute force instead?"

"I like that idea." Nick chimed in pounding his fist impatiently.

"Regardless, that monster relied on blinding us with that dark smoke," Joe said pacing in the corner of the room, "If anyone's powers here will be the most effective at sweeping it away, it'll be Izzy."

Everyone turned to her and she raised her hand with a contrite nod, "Don't worry everyone. You can count on me."

"Until then, we have to figure out what to do about this demon." Bishop cut in holding up the day's latest newspaper. "26 people were blinded yesterday and the paper says that doctors are stumped."

"Maybe if we destroy the monster, the curse gets lifted?" Danny suggested hopefully.

Izzy grimaced, "But if that monster stole their sight, what if killing it will also destroy the victims' sight?"

"That may be a chance we'll have to take," Nick muttered, "The rest of that thing looked to be made of solid rock."

After a short silence, Claire spoke again and studied her Keyrune, "You know, it seems the longer this goes on, the more questions we have. Like what's the deal between the Empyrians and the Cambions? What about our zords? And why are all the demon attacks so focused on Hyperion Falls?"

Bishop frowned to himself, "All good questions that I'm still working on. But for now, we stay ready to respond until that demon shows up again and…"

At that moment, everyone turned to Izzy as her phone went off.

"Sorry, that's the sorority," she said heading out the door in embarrassment, "I'll be ready… as soon as I take this call." As she hurried out of the room, all the other Rangers could do was exchange puzzled looks between themselves and their History professor.

* * *

Later that Saturday afternoon, Izzy entered the Mugshot café and spotted Krissy and Chelsea sitting at a nearby table waiting for her. Even though it was a casual café, the two were still dressed nicely and sipped from expensive customized lattes. Sitting down, Izzy gave a hopeful smile as the two girls greeted her, "Isabel, thanks for coming, especially on such short notice." Krissy started.

"Sure," Izzy replied, "Though, I'm a little curious what this is all about. Is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine," Chelsea reassured her, "We just wanted to talk and tell you that you did very well at the party yesterday night."

"Really?" Izzy grinned in relief, "That's great!"

"You did great," Krissy pointed out, "but your friends? Well… not so much."

Izzy's smile faded, "Huh? What do you mean?"

Chelsea grimaced and folded her hands, "How do I put this? Our sorority tries to cultivate a certain image among our sisters, as well as those they associate with. After all, it's for the success of our members, and that good name reflects both ways."

"Wait, so are you saying you don't like my friends?" Izzy asked defensively.

"We're not saying that," Krissy answered gently, "It's just that they're each lacking in certain qualities."

"I don't understand," Izzy said, beginning to feel a little hurt inside, "What's wrong with them?"

Chelsea took a prim sip of her coffee before speaking, "Well, for starters, your friend Joe is very smart and gentlemanly, but he's a bit of a boy scout and honestly, kind of boring."

"Boring?" Izzy asked, "I don't think so…"

"And then there's Danny" Krissy continued, "He's very handsome, but also a bit cheesy. Or Nick? He's very fun and entertaining, but in a boorish and crude sort of way."

"I don't know. Maybe a little, but…" Izzy tried to interrupt.

"And finally Claire," Chelsea chimed in, "The girl is very bright and has the potential for looks, but she came off as a bit mousey and not having the right attitude."

Izzy sat in silence, shocked at hearing such shallow and negative assessments of her friends. They were all good people who she trusted, and had grown to like. Truthfully she enjoyed spending time with them. Part of her was angry and wanted to speak out in their defense, but she knew it was also a little dangerous and could jeopardize her own position.

"So, are you saying I'm not allowed to be friends with them anymore?" Izzy asked.

"Of course not Isabel," Krissy said shaking her head gently, "All we're suggesting is that you limit your association with them, at least as far as sorority functions go. Speaking of, we'll be hosting another event later in the week and we'd like to invite you. Think it over. We hope you'll be there!"

With that, the two girls got up and exited the coffee house, leaving the Pink Ranger sitting in stunned silence. Sororities were supposed to be a fun and inclusive social outlet, but for some reason, Izzy couldn't help but be left feeling more hurt and alone.

* * *

A few days later, Claire walked into the dormitory cafeteria early on Wednesday afternoon to find Nick and Danny at a table finishing their lunch.

"Hey you two," she said taking a seat next to Nick, "Have either of you guys seen Izzy? She had been asking me to help her study for an upcoming exam, but I can't find her."

"Honestly, I've barely seen her this week." Danny shrugged finishing his bowel of chicken soup. "Every time I did, she just said a quick hello and ran off."

"Are you sure it wasn't just you? Because that sounds pretty normal to me," Nick smiled playfully ribbing the Blue Ranger, "But no, you're right. She has been a little scarce."

As he finished speaking, Joe entered the cafeteria and joined the other Rangers. He carried a glass of water and was dressed in some sweats, looking like he had just been exercising. "Hey guys. Do any of you know where Izzy is? She always goes running with me at the gym on Wednesday mornings."

"That's the million dollar question," Claire replied, "we're all looking for her too."

Joe wiped the sweat from his brow and drank some water with a frown, "Weird. Do you think she's mad at us?"

"Don't be crazy," Danny said waving it off, "What did we possibly do? Unless it had something to do with that party on Friday, I can't see any problems."

"Well, aside from cutting out a little early, I thought everything went fine there," Nick mused scratching his chin in agreement.

Claire sighed and gave a shrug, "Trust me, we girls can still be a strange bunch in the way we interpret things."

Joe cleared his throat and finished his water, "Well, whatever the case, I just hope that Izzy doesn't go AWOL if the you-know-what, decides to visit again."

* * *

Meanwhile, the Eye Golem Oculus sat taking refuge in the crevices of one of the mountains overlooking Hyperion Falls. It was late afternoon and the lights of the city were not visible yet. As the demon sat in the shade healing from his injuries of the last battle, he heard a faint voice carried on the wind. Upon reaching his dark cave, the voice reverberated softly and he recognized it as that of his mistress Shemhazai.

"Fool! Why do you hide? I sent you to spread terror and weaken the seal to the Abyss."

Oculus murmured in reply, "Forgive me mistress. I was wounded by the Vanguard Rangers. But I have recovered and planned a new strategy for the next time I face them."

"Do not make me wait any longer." Shemhazai's voice warned him, "I am putting a lot of trust in you to open the way for us."

"I will not fail again mistress." Oculus said rising from his spot and beginning to make his way back down the mountain. "You have my word on it."

* * *

Later that evening, Izzy quietly slipped out of her room and threw a warm coat on over her dress. Peering down the empty hall, she headed for the stairwell. As she reached the stairs, she stopped a moment by the reflective glass to adjust her long brown hair that had been done up for the evening.

That moment cost her as the stairwell door opened from the other side and she bumped right into Claire. The White Ranger was holding a PBJ sandwich that she was bringing back to her room for a snack and she raised it up to avoid messing up her friend's nice coat.

"Hey Iz!" Claire said in surprise, "I wasn't expecting to see you all dressed up tonight."

She gave a hasty shrug, "Yeah well, I'm kind of in a hurry. Sorority stuff tonight."

Claire gave a curious frown, "Seems like you've been spending a lot of time with them. We've all barely seen you lately."

"Sorry, I've just been busy." The Pink Ranger muttered, evasively moving past her and heading down the stairs.

Claire followed her, much to Izzy's annoyance, "Are you sure about going out tonight? I thought you wanted my help studying for that exam on Friday."

Izzy slapped her forehead, "Oh shoot. I totally forgot. I'm sorry Claire. We'll study tomorrow. I promise."

"You know, you've been acting kinda weird since you started rushing and went to that party on Friday. You aren't upset with us, are you?"

"No. It's fine! Everything is fine! You guys can stop worrying," Izzy replied trying to brush Claire off with a forced smile.

"We're your friends Iz." Claire stated in concern, "We're supposed to worry."

Izzy paused a moment and let out a deep sigh. Putting her hand on Claire's shoulder she said, "I know. I promise I'll talk more with you all later, but I have to run tonight. I'll be at the Canopy bar if you need me tonight, ok?"

Claire gave an uncertain look as the Pink Ranger turned around and headed out the front door of the dorm, hurrying into the dark chilly evening outside.

* * *

Later that night, a brightly lit billboard exploded as Oculus began his new rampage at the edge of Hyperion University's campus town. Giving a laugh, he waved a fresh platoon of Magog minions forward and swept his arm in a wide arc, spraying several students and civilians with his blinding dark rays. If those Vanguard Rangers protected the city, he could cause almost as much chaos just in the equally populated college campus town. The demon cackled in glee as it witnessed several more people fall to their knees, clutching at their eyes in blinded terror. The eye golem continued on, determined to win glory for his mistress and open the way for the rest of the Cambion invasion force.

* * *

Meanwhile, Danny crumpled up another piece of paper and tossed it into the trash can. "Well, so much for that idea." he muttered as he sat with Joe in the Black Hole, trying to figure out a workable strategy against their newest demonic foe.

"We can't give up," Joe urged, paging through another book of mythology. "There's got to be another way to beat that thing."

Just then, Nick and Claire hurried into the room with worried looks on their faces, "Suit up you two. We've got trouble again, and it's pretty close to home this time" Nick said keeping his voice low.

"Wait, what about Izzy?" Danny asked in concern, "Where is she?"

"She's at the Canopy bar with that sorority tonight," Claire said. "But she hasn't answered her phone yet."

Joe growled quietly and looked to the others before rising quickly, "Come on everyone. We're going to crash a party."

* * *

Loud music blared from speakers and colorful lights lit up the floor as people drank and danced within The Canopy, the campus bar that was rented out for the Eta Omicron sorority mixer. Despite the festive atmosphere, Izzy sighed, wishing her Ranger friends were there to enjoy it with her. Her thoughts kept going back to her conversation with Claire before she left.

"Hey girl! What's with the long face?" a tipsy Chelsea called heading off the dance floor to greet the Pink Ranger, "Aren't you having fun tonight?"

"Yeah, everything is great." Izzy lied giving a forced smile. "Thanks for inviting me."

The sorority girl grabbed her hand and pulled her toward to dance floor, "Then come on. Let's dance. There are a bunch of hot guys out there tonight."

Their conversation was cut short as they heard a loud commotion come from the front door of the bar. Izzy walked over and looked in shock as she saw her 4 Ranger friends trying to push and shove their way inside past the bouncers.

"Get out of the way! We've got to get in there!" Nick growled grappling with one bouncer.

As she and Danny pushed back against another doorman, Claire spotted Izzy and called out to her, "Izzy! We've got trouble! We need you!"

Izzy gave a sheepish look around to the other sorority sisters, "Ah, are you sure? I mean, can't you all just handle it without me tonight?"

As she said that, Krissy marched up angrily to where Joe was in a shoving match with a doorman and got in the Red Ranger's face, "Umm excuse me guy, why don't you and your rude friends back off! Izzy obviously doesn't want to talk to you, and you guys weren't invited either!"

The Red Ranger shoved aside the bouncer once more and shook his head to Izzy, "All right. We're going. But when you come to your senses, you'll know where to find us."

Izzy watched with a conflicted and guilty face as her friends turned and ran out of the bar to deal with the monster attack without her.

"Can you believe those animals?" Chelsea sniffed, "Thinking they could just barge in here and act like that?"

Izzy frowned, "They just wanted to tell me something important. Why not hear them out?"

"Well whatever it was, it obviously wasn't that important if you're still here. Now come on. We won't let those plebs ruin our fun tonight."

Izzy angrily turned and headed toward the door. "I've heard enough! Those are my friends and I'm not gonna let you dump on them like that."

"You're making a big mistake Isabel," Chelsea said, "You're not seeing things clearly."

"Oh I can see things just fine," Izzy fired back, "Those four aren't perfect, but I can see they care about me and are better people than anyone in your crummy house." Turning on her heel, the Pink Ranger stormed out the door hoping she could catch up to her friends in time.

* * *

Not too far away, Oculus continued terrorizing the fringes of campus town and blinding civilians. Just then the demon looked up in surprise to see a group of scattered Magogs fleeing back toward him while a few other foot soldiers disappeared in a cloud of smoke and ash.

Oculus waited patiently as the Magogs fled and the same 4 Vanguard Rangers confronted him, fully morphed. "You're back for a rematch." he sneered.

"And this time, we'll finish you," Nick called out. "Ready everyone?"

In a flash, the Rangers called their Astral Armament and fanned out around the golem. One by one, the male Rangers charged in to attack while Claire circle strafed with her bow. Despite the more coordinated maneuvers of the Rangers, Oculus blocked each of their attacks and turned their blows aside.

"Alright, Plan B!" Joe called raising his Keyrune and igniting it with fire. The other three Rangers rushed in and grabbed the golem, turning it toward the fire as Joe created another bright halo of blinding fire. This time, the golem laughed and expelled small pools of his black inky smoke to momentarily blind its own eyes.

"Huh, I'll be damned," Danny said in amazement. "The thing just made itself some demon sunglasses."

As the Red Ranger's cloud of fire dissipated the small shadow motes covering the demon's body, Oculus opened all its eyes again and blasted the Rangers backward with a powerful renewed jet of dark cloudy energy.

"Ok, I didn't think the monster was going to be this smart," Claire grunted picking herself up off the ground.

To the Rangers' dismay, the streets began filling with the dark swirling smoke as the monster advanced, continuing to spew even darker magic from the demon eyes covering its body. "How about another fireball?" Nick asked clutching his war-hammer nervously.

Joe shook his head, "If I did, I'll be completely gassed. This smoke is way too thick."

As he said that, a powerful gust of wind blew through the street and easily swept away a large portion of the dark cloud. The four Rangers turned to see Izzy approaching while holding her Keyrune ready.

"Get out of the way little girl. Can't you see I'm busy?" the demon growled.

"The only thing I see is you going back to hell where you belong," the Pink Ranger retorted rushing forward and activating her Keyrune, "Vanguard, Ascend!"

The eye golem roared as the morphed Pink Ranger charged him and brandished her rapier. Opening his eyes, Oculus fired off a barrage of shadowy blasts that corkscrewed in the air, but the Pink Ranger swatted them aside with her weapon and tumbled through rest with swift agile somersaults.

As the startled demon backpedaled, Izzy leapt forward, aided by her wings and delivered a relentless flurry of pin point sword thrusts, each strike destroying an eye and blinding the golem further.

"Doesn't feel so great, huh?" Izzy called sending the monster reeling with another powerful blow.

In a futile attempt to counter, Oculus began to release more shadows from his remaining eyes but the Pink Ranger used her Keyrune to call a tremendous whirlwind that countered the attack and lifted the demon high into the air.

As the golem landed hard on the concrete and recovered its remaining vision from the blinding wind, it looked up in sudden horror to see all five Rangers reassembled around a large celestial crossbow. Locking their Keyrunes in place, the Red Ranger took aim and called, "Radiant Arbalest, locked!"

"Fire!" Izzy called as the Arbalest unleashed a searing bolt of white hot light. The shot struck Oculus in his last remaining eye at the center of his chest and tore through him. Roaring in agony, the demon twisted sideways before exploding into a cloud of fire and ash. To the Rangers' relief, bright motes of light erupted from the remains of Oculus and flew through the air, returning to the victims and restoring their sight.

As they lowered the Arbalest, the other Rangers turned to Izzy and put their arms over her, "Way to go Iz! You were great!" Nick grinned patting her head as Claire gave the Pink Ranger a relieved hug.

"I'm sorry everyone," Izzy sighed, "I kinda lost sight of my priorities... and who my true friends are."

Joe laughed gently and put an arm around her, "Forget it Iz. We're just glad you're back."

As the smoke from the battle began to clear, Danny gave a thoughtful look back toward the Canopy, "You don't suppose the Eta's will let us back into their party if we're dressed like this, do you?"

Izzy couldn't help but laugh and give him an affectionate slap upside the head before summoning her wings and taking off into the night sky.

"Oh well, it was worth a shot," Danny sighed as the other Rangers took off and headed back toward the Rookery.

* * *

A few days later, Joe, Danny, Nick, and Claire sat in the Mugshot café relaxing after classes that Friday afternoon.

"Well, I'd say things worked out pretty well," Nick sighed taking a sip of his coffee. "I'm just glad the Power Rangers were able to clobber that latest demon and return things to normal."

"Not to mention all the victims have made a full recovery," Claire cheerfully added holding up a nearby newspaper from the table.

At that moment, the door opened and the four Rangers turned in surprise to see Izzy enter along with a familiar brunette girl.

"Hey everyone!" Izzy smiled hurrying over to greet her friends, "Sorry I'm late. You all remember Jen Kaufman from the party last week? She was also rushing with me for sororities."

Jen gave a bubbly laugh and waved as she joined Izzy, "Hi guys. Nice to see you all again!"

The other Rangers nodded with friendly smiles as Joe's face turned a shade of red... almost as red as his Ranger suit.

Izzy continued, "Well, turns out I also got accepted by my second pick for sororities and so did my friend Jen here! It's a much nicer group of girls and the time commitments aren't nearly as demanding."

"That's great Iz," Nick called cheerfully raising his coffee mug, "We're happy for you two."

"Izzy was actually wondering if you'd like to celebrate with the two of us tonight," Jen added, "I thought it would be fun to meet some of her friends too."

"That's an excellent idea!" Joe chimed in quickly, "Err... that is, if the rest of you also want to."

Danny and Nick exchanged a subtle smirk as Claire rolled her eyes to herself.

"Sounds good Iz. We're in," Danny chuckled. "What did you have in mind for going out? Wine and cheese tasting? Ballroom dancing?"

Izzy smiled, "If it's all the same with you guys, I think I'd actually prefer a movie night with pizza and sweat pants."

"No neckties or monkey suits. That's good enough for me," Nick grinned as the 6 students got up from their table and headed back toward their dorm continuing to laugh and joke the rest of the way home.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **That closes Episode 4 out. For anyone curious, I won't be doing zord battles in every single episode as I prefer to focus more on character development and world building. As per Sentai formula, I'll be continuing to do a few character spotlight episodes for each Ranger.**

 **I hope you enjoyed the latest installment, and to all of you who are still following along, thank you! It means a lot and I encourage you readers to not be shy. Feel free to review, or give me any ideas or feedback via PM. I'd love to talk to you guys and I want to keep doing my best to give you all an entertaining series. Until then!**


	9. Seeds of Doubt

**Episode 5: Part 1**

* * *

Nick Adler sat in his dorm room humming a tune as he held a small watering can over a potted plant. In his other hand, he gripped his Keyrune. All about the dorm room were several large pots filled with colorful flowers and other germinating plants.

"Hey there buddy, you must be really thirsty today," the Green Ranger smiled at the plant, "I know it's getting cold outside but I'll do my best to keep you all warm."

Try as he might, Nick couldn't help but speak gently and lovingly to the plants in the room. Having grown up on a farm, he had always talked to the crops while working in the field. It made him feel more connected with the earth and the life that constantly surrounded him, whether it was inquiring about a sick cornstalk's condition, praising the quick growth of the flowers in the garden, or even apologizing to the weeds for pulling them. It was no surprise he'd become an Agriculture major when he went to school.

Giving the Keyrune a wave, he channeled a little natural energy and all the plants shifted slightly and perked up, a positive response. Looking about the room, Nick sighed contentedly. While it was nice to be surrounded by greenery again, he still worried. The sight of so many flowers was sure to betray his love of floral gardening. While Nick always liked to play the role of the big tough football player in high school, he was always a bit sensitive and secretive about his other hobby for fear that other students might laugh at him, or call him effeminate.

His thoughts were interrupted as the door entered and his roommate Joe walked in. Nick held his breath as the Red Ranger stopped and looked around in shock.

"Uh Nick… what's going on here? This place looks like the botanical gardens."

Nick gave a nervous laugh, "Oh, hey Joe. Uh, you remember I'm taking that Botany course next semester. I kinda wanted to get a head start on growing some samples."

"Ok. That's great man, but why here?" Joe sighed moving a pot from a nearby shelf to make room for his own book bag.

Nick grimaced and did feel a little bad for crowding up the room without telling his roommate. He knew his friend was a bit of a neat freak and liked to keep his half of the room particularly orderly.

"I'm sorry Joe," Nick answered, "But I promise it will only be for a week. They're making space in the campus greenhouse so that I can transfer the plants until then."

Joe shrugged and lay down on his bed admiring another pot of red flowers nearby, "Well, I guess that's all right then. Though, it'll make it hard for everyone else to hang out here in the mean time."

"No!" Nick insisted "You can't let anyone else into the room until then! Or tell them!"

The Red Ranger frowned in confusion, "What? That you like caring for plants? So what?"

"So, if anyone else found out I like doing something as unmanly as flower gardening, I'll never hear the end of it." Nick exclaimed in worry.

"Come on Nick! You're being ridiculous now," Joe laughed rising from his bed, "No one's going to care. I don't, and I'm sure the others won't either."

The Green Ranger halted Joe and put his hands firmly on the Red Ranger's shoulders, "Please! I'm begging you as a friend. Just don't say anything about it to the others, ok?"

"Oh… all right," Joe relented, "But you're still being an idiot."

Just then, a knock at the door was heard and Danny's voice called out,

"Hey! Can we come in? The girls and I are going to grab dinner downstairs. Are you two coming?

"Just let me handle this," Nick said to his roommate as he stepped out of the door and blocked the other three Rangers' view inside. "Hey guys, just give us a minute. We'll be right down with you."

Danny scratched his head, "Is everything ok? You guys usually leave the door open for us all the time."

"Oh," Nick muttered, "Umm, well, you see... Joe and I were having a talk… about something personal."

"Is everything all right?" Izzy asked in concern "Hopefully it's nothing serious,"

"Oh no," Nick said waving it off, "He's uh… suffering from a little problem. Yeah… it's kind of embarrassing and something he thought only a fellow guy would understand."

"I see," Danny replied curiously as Nick gestured below his belt line and the two girls exchanged a puzzled look.

From inside the dorm room, Joe growled and clenched a fist at the outrageous story Nick was making up. It seemed like he had no choice but to play long now. With that, the Red Ranger exited the room and met the surprised looks of his fellow Rangers.

"Hey everyone, are you ready to eat?" he asked in a neutral tone.

"Uh, yeah. Sounds good," the other three chorused giving him an odd look before heading downstairs.

Nick gave an apologetic grin as the Red Ranger turned to him in mild annoyance while they trailed behind, "Oh, you're going to owe me big time for this one."

* * *

I can't believe it!" General Abaddon exclaimed as his mocking laughter echoed in the throne of the Dark Prison Spire, "The great and cunning Shemhazai foiled by the same group of human children."

The female Cambion Shemhazai glanced idly to the demon general and regarded him patiently from her seat at the foot of the throne. "Yes General, my servant was unsuccessful. But then again, failure is an experience you are more than familiar with."

Abaddon whirled around on her and reached for the hilt of his weapon in rage, "Silence you witch! We'll see just how smug and superior you are when I cut your forked tongue off."

"Enough!" came the powerful voice of Gideon as he sat upon his throne. "I tire of your constant bickering. Unless you have another plan to seize Hyperion Falls, you waste your energy fighting amongst each other."

The two demon generals bowed their heads in submission before Shemhazai spoke again, "Forgive me Lord Gideon. I wish to be given another chance. I have another servant from my legion who is ready to serve you. The earth demon Enten has power to make the ground and the knees of the mortals tremble in terror."

"What guarantee do you have that it won't end up like the others?" Abadddon questioned.

Shemhazai turned to the Cambion warlord and smiled, "You just worry about mobilizing your own troops. I will see to the rest."

* * *

A cold November wind blew as Dr. Feldman set down her shovel and reached into the hardened dirt of the farm fields. Giving a sigh, she picked up another soil sample from the ground and examined it curiously. The Botany professor from Hyperion University shook the soil in the plastic container, wondering if maybe some parts of the ground had already begun to freeze over. Winter was fast approaching and he had already had some difficulty digging up some last minute samples for the year. Back at the university, she would have a nice hot cup of coffee to warm her up, but all that was still a good fifteen miles away.

Hearing a slight rattling in the container, the young red-headed scholar put on her gloves and reached inside to fish out the object from the soil. To her surprise, she found a large black seed about the side of a walnut. It had a hard jagged shell and she gasped as it slightly opened revealing a red demon eye.

Crying out in terror, Dr. Feldman dropped the seed and watched as it opened further and dark writhing tendrils sprouted and dug into the ground. In the blink of an eye, the demon seed buried itself again into the soil. The startled professor breathed heavily and took a few steps forward to observe where the creature had planted itself. As she did, she stopped as the ground around her began to tremble violently and crack.

The next moment, a large serpent made out of soil and rocks burst from the ground and reared its frightening head at the scientist. Its head appeared to be like that of a dragon serpent but at its center was the black seed and red demon eye, giving the appearance of a cyclopean beast. As the demon Enten gave a roar, the ground split further and Dr. Feldman turned to flee in terror toward her jeep. As she jumped in the vehicle and started the engine, she saw the large monster plunge its head back into the ground and quickly begin burrowing its way toward the city of Hyperion Falls at great speed.

Grabbing her phone, she took off toward the city and followed the creature, hoping she would be able to reach someone at the University and spread a warning.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on campus, Joe sat in the main lounge of the dormitory intently studying for Professor Bishop's next History exam. Seeing as how Nick had all but commandeered the room with his plants, the Red Ranger decided to get his studying done in another comfortable spot. Unbeknownst to him, Danny, Claire, and Izzy returned from their morning classes and entered the lounge from the opposite doors, spying him on the couch with his nose buried in a History book.

Giving a mischievous grin, Izzy nudged the other two Rangers, "Let's have a little fun. Watch this."

Quietly walking over, Izzy gently plucked the book from the Red Ranger's hands and plopped right down on his lap.

"Uh, Iz? What are you doing?" Joe gulped in surprise as she slung her arms around his neck and cuddled up close to him on the couch.

The other two Rangers approached with amused smirks as Izzy gave him a suggestive wink, "Oh nothing. I'm just trying to be here for my friend. It's just that I heard from Nick you might be a little frustrated and having some guy problems recently. Just let me know if there's anything I could do to help, if you know what I mean..."

Despite his red face, Joe gave a flustered huff and tried to gently push her off of him, "Will you knock it off? I don't have any... sexual problems."

"Well, then the only other explanation must be jock itch." Danny commented with his arms crossed sagely. "Trust me, for an athletic guy like you, it's nothing to be ashamed of."

"What?" Joe gasped in outrage. At this point, he was almost wishing he called Izzy's bluff.

Flopping down on the couch next to him, Claire pulled out a book and gave a pat on the shoulder, "Danny's right. And remember, I'm a pre-pharmacy student so I can even help you figure out the right ointments to use."

This was getting out of hand. Joe wasn't sure if his friends seriously believed Nick or if they were just messing with him now. Fortunately, he didn't have to wonder long as his phone went off.

"Hey, slow down there chico," Izzy laughed playfully as Joe pulled out his phone from his pocket and finally pushed her off his lap. The others became quiet as the Red Ranger answered the phone and his face darkened, "Got it. Hang in there. We'll be there soon."

Turning to the other Rangers, Joe said, "That was Nick and we've got trouble. There's a Cambion headed toward the city, so let's try to cut it off."

With a quick silent nod, the others jumped off the couch and headed toward the door wondering what new threat was headed their way this time.

* * *

At the other end of campus, Nick perched atop a tall pine tree watching the road. He had already morphed and while the Green Ranger was protected from the wintery chill by his suit, he could feel the cold air swirling around him. Glancing to his left, he saw the university's large greenhouse where many students and professors from the agriculture program kept their samples and projects. Even if he was alone right now, Nick made himself a silent promise to protect those plants.

Looking back up, he saw a large mound of earth rising from the main road in the distance. All he knew from Professor Bishop was that he received a call from his colleague Dr. Feldman about some burrowing monster. It was now up to the Rangers to try and halt the demon before it could take the main road into the city limits several miles away.

To his surprise, Nick saw the mound of earth rapidly approach, as if it were some underground mole with a rocket pack on its back. Drawing his Keyrune, Nick leapt from the tree and made a sweeping gesture with the artifact, calling a thick wall of earth and stone to erupt from the ground and block the path of the intruder.

In a moment, the creature slammed into the wall and erupted from the earth, writhing in confusion and fury. The Green Ranger gasped as he witnessed a large serpentine dragon made of earth and stone turn on him and give an angry roar.

"Hey ugly, you're not the only one who can make the earth shake!" Nick shouted back as he called his warhammer and tried to suppress his fear.

As the earth dragon surged toward him, Nick brought his hammer around and smashed the monster's head aside, but he was still overwhelmed by the force of its charge and the creature's tail whipped around, sending the Ranger flying back toward the greenhouse and into a clump of small trees.

With another roar, the demon charged again as Nick struggled to rise to his feet and shake off the dazing blow he had taken. Just before the monster could dive on him, it reared back suddenly as if avoiding the clump of trees as well as the other plants around the greenhouse. From its place in the softer soil, the dragon reared back and spat a barrage of large rocks from its mouth.

Nick tumbled away as the small boulders smashed into the small line of trees and devastated the greenhouse too. Turning in horror to the ruined greenhouse, Nick glanced back and saw the demon slowly advance on him again. As it fixed its black and red cyclopean eye on him, a volley of golden blaster fire erupted from above and momentarily threw the serpent back.

Nick sighed in relief as the other 4 Vanguard Rangers swooped in to help confront the monster.

"You look like you could use a hand there big guy," the Red Ranger said helping Nick to his feet. "Are you ok?"

"That bastard smashed the greenhouse!" Nick growled angrily, "I'm gonna smash him now!"

Before he could speak again, the earth demon surged at Izzy but the Pink Ranger took flight with her wings, leaping to safety while Danny pointed his Keyrune and called forth a powerful jet of water.

To the Rangers' surprise, the water struck the serpent and split its head off, turning it to mud. But as the head fell to the earth, it burrowed deep and reemerged with a full body again.

"No fair. Water always seems to beat earth in the video games," Danny muttered as he made a winged leap to get clear of the raging monster.

"This isn't good," Claire called nervously, "We're not even scratching that thing."

Pulling his own Keyrune, Joe turned to Nick, "We can't beat that thing while it's in the earth. Think you can do something about that?"

Nick readied his hammer, "Back me up. If we're going to fight that thing on its own turf, let's make his turf unfriendly to him."

The Red Ranger nodded as Nick smashed the ground with his hammer creating a large string of cracks around the monster's path. As he did that, Joe aimed his Keyrune downward and called burst of volcanic fire to erupt from the fissures created by the Green Ranger.

The demonic earth serpent roared as its way was blocked and its body was scorched on several sides by the hot steam and fire. With another angry noise, the demon dove back into the ground and quickly retreated back the way it came as the temporary fires died down again.

Lowering their weapons and Keyrunes, the five Rangers turned to each other in worry. Even though they had checked the demon's advance, it wasn't really a victory and felt more like a temporary stalemate.

"That is one tough Cambion," Danny remarked eying the torn up earth and destroyed main road around him. "We barely touched that thing."

"Every monster has a weak spot Danny," Claire answered trying to sound optimistic, "We just have to figure it out."

Nick stood aside from his fellow Rangers, sadly looking at the destroyed trees and greenhouse as Joe put a firm hand on his shoulder, "Come on Nick. We need to head back to talk to the Professor. Who knows how long we'll have to regroup before that thing comes back again."

Nick gave a nod and watched as his friends took to the sky before solemnly following them and leaving the ravaged battlefield behind.


	10. The Rumbling Mountain

**Episode 5: Part 2**

* * *

"I'm sorry everyone," Professor Bishop called as he hurried into his lecture hall back at the university. "I came as soon as I could."

The Vanguard Rangers stood waiting in the room wearing concerned faces as Bishop shrugged off his coat and carried a laptop over toward the wooden podium. Due to the unusual nature of the last monster attack, the five decided on an impromptu meeting here rather than at the Rookery.

"How is Dr. Feldman doing?" Nick asked curiously. Bishop had told him the two were good friends and longtime colleagues. It was possible she might even be Nick's Botany professor next semester.

Bishop opened the laptop and sighed, "Last I talked to her, she was fine. Still a little shaken up though."

"Shaken is an understatement," Danny muttered, "That monster is a giant earthquake waiting to happen."

Gesturing for the others to gather around, Professor Bishop pulled up a screen on his computer. "I've begun cross referencing our new Empyrian records with our own databases relating to history, religions, and mythology. Based on everything you told me, I think we may be dealing with a demonic aspect of Enten, a lesser Mesopotamian earth deity. Unfortunately, our own historical records are pretty scarce on the subject too."

"Well, whatever that thing is, we're not going to beat it with direct force this time." Joe agreed, "We're going to need a new strategy."

Everyone sat quiet for a moment before Claire spoke up, "Did any of you find it funny that Enten only approached and retreated following the dirt of the main road? I mean, if you look at the map, the demon could just cut straight through the woods if it wanted to and reach the city sooner."

Nick crossed his arms and nodded, "You've got a point. When I was fighting that thing earlier, it seemed to hesitate when I was standing near a cluster of trees by the greenhouse too."

"So what are you saying? A big scary earth dragon is afraid of leaves and bark?" Izzy asked.

"Maybe it's not scared of what's above the ground, but rather below it." Professor Bishop said thoughtfully.

The five students turned to him with questioning glances as he continued, "Think about it. Enten uses the earth as a medium, like a fish swims through water. Wouldn't it make sense that it would avoid things like trees and other large plants that have lots of thick roots underground?

"That's it!" Nick cried suddenly snapping his fingers, "That's how we can defeat the monster!"

"I'm sorry Nick," I'm not quite following you here," Izzy said shaking her head in confusion.

The Green Ranger held out his Keyrune confidently, "What we need to do is to lure Enten toward a large patch of trees. Once there, I'll use my powers to snare that thing with all the underground roots. If it can't move or escape using the soil, we can take that demon out easy."

"Wow! That's a really clever plan Nick," Claire grinned, "I'm actually kinda impressed. But isn't that going to take an awful lot of power and focus?"

Nick scratched his chin, "Well, maybe being near some fresh plants will help. It's possible their roots can help me channel my power better and reach the trees."

"I think you're all forgetting something," Danny pointed out, "Where are we going to get some fresh plants at this time of year? It's winter out there and the campus greenhouse was flattened."

Joe gave Nick a pointed look but the Green Ranger grimaced and shook his head slightly. The Red Ranger maintained eye contact with his roommate and said evenly, "Let's all take a look around campus and see if we can find any botany students willing to donate some samples." Again Nick remained silent.

"You guys go ahead. I'll catch up with you soon," the Green Ranger called as Joe shook his head in disappointment and led the others outside.

After the others left, Bishop began putting his laptop away. Giving Nick an innocent glance, he asked, "Got another question Mr. Adler?"

Nick sighed, "Professor, what if I said I knew a guy who had the plants we need, but is too embarrassed to let anyone else know he had them?"

"And why would he be embarrassed about that?" Bishop played along calmly crossing his arms and sitting on a nearby desk.

"Because they're all… well… flowers." Nick muttered.

Bishop nodded sagely, "I see. And he's afraid if other people found out he liked growing flowers, it might hurt his image, right?"

"Something like that," Nick shrugged looking away.

Bishop scratched his chin thoughtfully, "Well Nick, I guess I would tell him that there's nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, many great kings in history were noted for their interest and love of beautiful gardens. Take the French King Louis XIV for example. Why do you suppose the gardens of Versailles are the way that they are?"

"I guess you have a point there," Nick admitted, "You don't think it's a girly hobby or anything, do you Professor?"

Bishop laughed gently, "No more than my love of cooking fancy meals."

"Wait! You actually like to cook?" Nick asked in surprise.

"Well kiddo, I'm still a single bachelor," Bishop grinned putting a hand on his student's shoulder, "If I still want to eat well, I've kind of got to like cooking, right?"

"Thanks Professor," Nick finally smiled heading out the door, "I think I know what I'm going to tell my friend now."

"You should also remind him he needs to study for a History exam later this week," Bishop added throwing on his coat.

Nick chuckled and nodded as he exited the room. After he closed the door, he pulled out his cell phone, knowing exactly what he had to do next.

* * *

Later that afternoon 4 of the Vanguard Rangers gathered at the outskirts of Hyperion Falls and kept a steady watch on the surrounding landscape. Claire and Danny stood patiently waiting for any signs of the earth demon while Joe and Nick quickly planted a large group of fresh flowers around them. Nearby, a large swath of tall old trees lined the path into the city where the Rangers were conducting their unseasonable flower gardening.

"To think, big tough Nick has a soft spot for all these flowers," Danny said to himself in amusement. The Green Ranger slowly looked up with a glare and raised a fist threateningly, "Err, not that there's anything wrong with that, of course." Danny quickly added, shying away from Nick.

"We're lucky he does," Joe interjected gently waving his Keyrune about the area to magically ward the flowers from the chill. "It may very well save our butts today."

At that moment, Claire reached for her phone and glanced at the text message. "Guys, that's Izzy. Enten is on the move again and he' headed this way."

Danny nodded and morphed, "That's my cue then." Giving a wave, the Blue Ranger called his wings and took off into the sky to help lure the monster into their trap.

While Nick hurriedly finished planting the last of the flowers, Claire curled up in her own white winter coat to stay warm. "Do you think this is actually going to work?"

Nick gently patted the earth down as he finished, "We've been protecting the earth so far. I have faith that it will protect us in return."

The Red and White Rangers exchanged an uncertain look before Claire turned and pointed out in the distance, "Look!"

The Rangers followed her finger and saw a large mound of moving earth quickly approaching their position. From the skies, the Pink and Blue Rangers flew above it, harrying and attacking the enemy. While Izzy fired several shots from her Feather Stinger pistol, Danny sprayed the ground around the demon with water to hamper its movement with mud, and guide it toward the other Rangers.

From his position, Nick stood defiantly as Joe and Claire morphed and stood ready to guard him. "Get ready Nick! We're depending on you," the Red Ranger called, trying to swallow his own fears too. "Claire, you know what to do next."

The White Ranger nodded and readied her Keyrune as Danny turned his aim toward the ground ahead of the monster, hosing it down with another powerful jet of water. As Enten emerged from the ground with a roar, Claire waved her Keyrune turning the water into ice and forming a small wall in front of them.

The surprised demon thrashed as it skidded along the ice and crashed violently against the frozen wall, momentarily stopping its slide.

At that moment, Nick focused hard and held his Keyrune close. He could feel the vibrant life of his flowers reach into the ground and channel his will, trying to coax and pull at the large ancient roots of the trees below them.

The other Rangers regrouped around Nick and drew their blaster pistols nervously as they saw the earth serpent slowly recover its senses. Giving another roar, the cyclopean serpent opened its maw and fired off a barrage of small boulders. While Nick continued to concentrate, the other 4 Rangers opened fire with their pistols and Keyrunes to destroy the projectiles, hoping they could protect Nick and buy enough time to reach the ancient trees.

As the battle raged, Nick stood calmly around his plants focused on the ground. "Please help me!" he pleaded inwardly toward the old trees. "Help me defeat our common enemy... if not for me, then for the ancient one who used to hold this Keyrune."

Slowly, he felt the trees shudder and move as the ancient roots of the trees responded to his desperate plea.

Meanwhile, the last of the projectile boulders were reduced to pebbles, but the force of the blast pushed the Vanguard Rangers to their knees. The four heroes panted in exhaustion from exerting themselves through their elemental powers, but the demon reared back again, as if still ready to renew its assault. Before Enten could react, Nick opened his eyes and a host of thick writhing roots burst from the ground binding the demon in their tight coils. Enten gave a furious roar but more roots continued to emerge and completely immobilize the serpent.

The other Rangers stared in awe for a moment before Nick's voice rang out, "This is the end for you demon. I'm not gonna let you harm another living thing!"

Raising his Keyrune, the Green Ranger stepped forward, "Vanguard, Ascend!"

In a flash of light, Nick charged forward with his warhammer and gave a furious shout. As if anticipating his movements, the roots pulled Enten lower to the ground and the morphed Green Ranger brought his hammer down in a volley of ringing strikes. Each furious blow cracked the earth serpent's body and kicked up clouds of chipped stone as the Green Ranger took one final leap high into the air with his wings. Gripping his hammer with both hands, Nick brought it down on Enten's forehead with an earth-shattering strike.

The demon serpent violently collapsed to the ground as a large crack spread from its skull all the way down it's body before the monster completely crumbled to soil and dark ash. The other Rangers let out a cheer as Nick gave a satisfied nod and dusted off his hammer, but their celebrations were cut short as the monster's Cambion sigil activated and revived it.

The Rangers looked in dismay as Enten became a giant dragon that radiated dark demonic energy.

"Time to call in the cavalry?" Danny asked turning to the Red Ranger.

"Sounds like another good plan to me," Joe nodded raising his own Keyrune and turning the Empyrian sigils to summon his zord.

The other Rangers followed suit and were soon joined by their celestial zords to stop the Cambion threat. From his griffin zord, the Red Ranger called to the others, "All right everyone, don't give that thing a moment to breathe. Let's take it to em!"

Leading the way with a screech, the red griffin zord swooped down and spat a jet of fire on Enten before pouncing on the demon's head with its talons. The Cambion roared as it shook off its momentary blindness and was mauled on both sides by Claire's white wolf zord and Nick's green bear zord. While the wolf breathed ice and bit down on Enten's tail, the bear grappled the demon's serpentine body. Again the monster's head was assaulted by a dive bombing pink kestral zord and the stinging tail of a flying blue manta ray zord.

After falling again, the battered demon thrashed and raised itself from the ground, trying to advance into the city limits. But while it had been knocked down, the five beasts had combined to form the Vanguard Megazord, which now barred its path.

"Hey Jackass the giant! Come get some!" Nick called from the Megazord as the demon snarled and surged forward. The serpent and the Megazord collided in a thundering crash and the monster pushed hard to try and knock over its opponent. Despite its best efforts, the Megazord's feet began to lose traction and slowly slide backwards.

"This isn't working," Izzy gasped pushing on her controls trying to help keep their war machine steady.

Turning to Nick, Joe gave a nod, "I think it's time we teach this demon how to fly. What do you say Nick?"

The Green Ranger nodded to his friend and gave a thumbs up. "Sounds good. Let's do it."

Grabbing the Cambion titan, the Vanguard Megazord pushed off on its legs and opened its griffin wings taking off high into the skies. As they ascended higher and higher, the megazord finally let go of the demon sending it plummeting back down to the ground.

While the Cambion thrashed in the sky, the Vanguard Megazord charged its wings and dove back down on its prey and split the monster in half with a powerful swoop. As the megazord victoriously landed again, the remains of the giant Cambion rained down around it, shattering on the ground.

* * *

As the last bits of smoke and ash cleared over the skies of the city, the Vanguard Rangers sent their zords away and regrouped on the ground where they gathered around a small black walnut shaped rock. The Rangers watched as the source of Enten's power twitched and tried to extend some weak black tendrils of energy back into the ground.

"I've already killed you twice today," Nick snorted looming over the evil seed. "Looks like the third time will be the charm."

Raising his warhammer, he brought it down forcefully and smashed the dark seed, causing it to erupt into a small puff of ash and brimstone.

"Finally," Danny sighed in relief, "That was quite a marathon battle."

"A battle that we couldn't have won without Nick and his green thumb," Claire added giving the Green Ranger a high five.

Nick sighed, "Well, since everything is in order, I'm going to go dig my flowers back up before they all freeze in this cold. Anyone want to help?"

"Hold it right there," Joe said halting his roommate with crossed arms, "I think you're forgetting to address something? Something personal?"

The Green Ranger stared at him in confusion for a moment before nodding in understanding, "Oh! Right! Sorry man."

Turning to the others, Nick shrugged, "I totally lied before and threw Joe under the bus. He's fine... no sexual frustration, or jock itch, or whatever other crazy things the rest of you were imagining. Now can we hurry up and save my plants, please?"

As he hurried away with Claire following behind, Izzy gave a laugh and turned to Joe, "Well, that's kinda too bad there's nothing actually wrong with you."

The Red Ranger frowned in confusion, "What? Why?"

Izzy gave him a gentle poke in the side as she walked off to join the others, "Even if I was just teasing earlier, who knows? Maybe if you played your cards right, I might have actually reconsidered."

Joe gaped in shock while Danny put a sympathetic arm around his stunned friend's shoulder.

"Damn dude, you just got played." the Blue Ranger sighed, "But don't sweat it. I'm sure she was just saying all that stuff to try and make me jealous. Take it from me, chicks are insane. The good news is, after you get turned down the first time, it only gets easier from there."

Joe stared at Danny for a long moment before breaking out into a fit of genuine laughter. Clapping his friend on the back, the Red Ranger smiled, "Well, I couldn't intrude. Seeing as how you're so far ahead in the game, just let me know when you and Izzy set a wedding date then."

Exchanging another good natured laugh, the two Rangers continued to follow behind the others to join Nick in helping recover his beloved flowers.

* * *

Professor Gabriel Bishop sat in the busy cafeteria of the Student Union eating lunch while he graded a stack of papers. Giving a sigh, he rubbed his eyes tiredly. Ever since he had become the de facto mentor of the young Vanguard Rangers, he was beginning to find out that helping to save the world on a regular basis really cut in to his time for grading papers or doing lesson plans. As he took another bite of his sandwich, he heard the voice of an older man call out, "Gabriel, is this seat taken?"

Bishop glanced up and gave the elder priest Father Santos a weary nod, "Oh, hello Father. By all means, join me."

As the graying priest sat down across from him at the table, Bishop put his pen down, "So, what brings you to the university?"

Santos narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice. "I think you know why I'm here. People have started to ask a lot of questions after seeing demons and Power Rangers with angel wings."

"And you think the Keyrunes have something to do with it?" Bishop asked innocently.

"I know they do," Santos replied, "I've been sent here to find out what, so please, for the sake of our friendship, don't play dumb with me Gabriel."

"You know as well as I about the Cambion threat," Bishop answered levelly. "The rest, I'm still working on."

Santos studied Bishop for a moment, "And what of the Keyrunes?"

"I don't have them," Bishop replied as the priest's eyes went wide in shock. "I gave them to the Power Rangers… or rather the Vanguard Rangers to be exact."

"Gabriel! They belong to the Church," Santos hissed, but the young professor shook his head.

"No. They don't, and I'll tell you why. Just please… hear me out."

As the lunch hour wore on, Professor Bishop shared his newest research on the historical origins of the Keyrunes, and how they had been created by the Empyrian race to combat the ancient demonic threat.

After listening, Santos chewed his lip gravely, "If what you are telling me is true, then you're saying that all of Western Christianity is based on a big mistake… that it was all just some race of ancient people from the skies. Do you realize how heretical that suggestion could be?"

Bishop narrowed his eyes and shook his head, "I'm not saying God doesn't exist. It's quite possible that the magic and the imagery of the Empyrian race inspired the creation of a whole religion, but where did the Empyrians come from? For all we know, some higher power must have created them too. They coexisted with early human civilization, so there must be some common origin, right?"

Santos grimaced and sat back in his seat as the cafeteria continued to bustle around them, oblivious of their weighty conversation.

"I can't promise a good reaction from my superiors, but I will tell them," the priest finally said.

"In the mean time, whoever these Vanguard Rangers are, they will need those Keyrunes if they're going to continue fighting the monsters. I suppose it's probably for the best."

"I'm sorry Father," Bishop sighed, "I wish I could help you understand,"

Santos shook his head gently and gave a weary smile, "No, I actually wish I could help you more Gabriel. It's the people above me that I worry about not understanding."

With that, the priest rose from his seat and slowly made his way back into the throng of students, leaving Gabriel Bishop sitting alone with his own worries and doubts.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **That ends Episode 5. I know I say this a lot, but thank you again to all those who have been loyal readers, contributors, or reviewers so far. You guys are all awesome, and a big source of motivation for me too. Next episode should be coming out sometime later next week so be sure to stay tuned!  
**


	11. On Thin Ice

**Episode 6: Part 1**

* * *

Claire Li sat in her room and glanced out the window at the gently falling snow outside. It had been a chilly November and she was glad to be inside, safe at her desk with her finished homework in front of her. Still, she couldn't help but admire the pristine sight of the snow that had begun to blanket the campus. She had loved the snow since she was a little girl and it made her affinity for ice all the more ironic considering how she could now command the element with the wave of her Keyrune.

Despite the fact it was an early Saturday morning, she felt restless and decided to see what her friends were doing. As she left her room, Claire glanced at Izzy's dry erase board next door and saw a note saying that the Pink Ranger was already out at a yoga class. Giving a shrug, the White Ranger headed downstairs to the cafeteria where she saw Joe and Nick sitting at a table with mugs of hot chocolate. They were dressed in sweats and still shaking snow off of them.

"Hey, what happened to you two?" Claire asked curiously taking a seat nearby. "You look like abominable snowmen."

"We just got back from Ultimate Frisbee on the quad," Nick grinned, "It was great!"

Claire gave a surprised look, "The ground is covered in snow. You're still playing sports outside?"

"Why not?" Joe smiled putting down his mug, "That makes the wipeouts a lot more fun."

As he said that, Nick returned to the table carrying a large bag of marshmallows from the counter. "Hey Claire, since you're here, you wanna stuff your mouth and play Chubby Bunny with us?"

"Thanks. I think I'll pass," Claire sighed rolling her eyes.

"Ok. Me first then," Joe called grabbing the bag and cramming several large marshmallows into his mouth.

As Claire left the table, she heard Nick begin to laugh in childish amusement while his ridiculous looking roommate tried to say "Chubby Bunny." It was no wonder the two had become best friends since coming to college. Aside from being Rangers, the two were able to bond over their competitiveness and interest in sports. When she thought about it, all the other Rangers seemed to possess a degree of athletic talent from their high school days. Joe had played soccer and run track, Danny was a swimmer, Nick played football and wrestled, and Izzy had done gymnastics and cheerleading.

The thought made the White Ranger suddenly begin to feel a little gloomy. She had never really been coordinated or athletic enough to make a school sports team, but being a Power Ranger had helped provide some extra exercise for her. Even if Claire was in good shape herself, seeing her friends stay active in the winter reminded her that she needed to do more than just be a bookworm. The others had already proven themselves to be capable fighters in battle but still able to draw on their natural athleticism when needed, and Claire wanted to be able to do that too.

As she walked through the main lobby of the dorm, she ran into Danny who was headed out the door carrying a small gym bag.

"Hey Danny! Wait up!" she called hurrying over to stop him. "Where are you headed?"

"Morning Claire," Danny answered cheerfully, "I'm just headed to the rec center. I thought I'd swim a few laps before the pool crowds up."

"Great! I know this sounds kinda weird, but do you mind if I tag along today?" Claire asked sheepishly.

"Since when did you suddenly become so interested in working out?" Danny grinned in amusement. "Maybe trying to get in shape to catch some lucky guy's attention?"

Claire gave him an annoyed slap in the arm, "Will you be serious? I want to try and find a sport that can be useful with my… extracurricular job outside of school."

"I see," Danny nodded thoughtfully, "How about you take up basketball?"

"I'm five foot-two." Claire frowned crossing her arms, "Very funny."

"All right, what about martial arts? Aren't you Chinese people supposed to be good at all that kung fu stuff already?"

Clare sighed in annoyance, "I'm not even going to touch that one. Come on Danny! I'm asking for some help. Please?"

"Relax," he said giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "Of course I'll help. Now hurry up and put on some sweats. I think I have just the sport in mind for you."

* * *

A flash of lightning lit up the dark tumultuous clouds of the Abyss as the lord of the Cambion demons paced near a large window of his prison. As the skies lit up again for a brief instant, Gideon held out his hand toward the light, as if trying in vain to bask in the radiance he once knew ages ago.

The idea of having been banished to darkness sickened him and he grew more disgusted at the thought of these new Vanguard Rangers wielding the light of his former race's power. The very notion that they were standing in the way of his generals only proved the human race's own arrogance. With each successive monster attack, the seal to the world continued to weaken and though Gideon yearned for the light of that place, he would wait. For now, he would keep watching as another one of his lesser Cambion servants crossed over into reality to begin its assault on the mortal world.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Claire asked as she finished lacing up her skates and stumbled over toward the entrance of the college rec center's ice rink.

"Of course," Danny called from the ice as he waved her forward. "The sport is all about speed, balance, and grace. And besides, you already know a thing or two about the element right?"

The White Ranger grudgingly mumbled in agreement and hesitantly stepped out on the ice. In an instant, she wobbled and skidded awkwardly before grabbing on to the side wall for support. Fortunately, there was no one else on the ice rink to see.

"Danny, I can't do this," she protested, trying to skittishly move again before falling on her butt.

The Blue Ranger shook his head and helped her stand up again, "Listen, you agreed to my idea and this is something I can actually teach you. Will you just give it a chance?"

Claire gave an uncertain look and clung to the wall.

"All right, just watch what you can learn to do if you just stick with this," Danny offered as he kicked off and headed out on the ice. The Blue Ranger did a few speedy laps around the rink with effortless grace, before skating in reverse with just as much ease. To the White Ranger's amazement, Danny came back her way doing a few nimble hops before spinning around and sliding to a stop.

"Wow, you're really good," Claire said. "I had no idea."

Danny shrugged modestly, "The curse of growing up as a rich kid. My mom made me take a few skating and dance classes when I was younger."

"And you really think you can teach me to do all that?" Claire asked.

Danny skated behind her and gently pushed her out on the ice amid her flailing arms and protests, "Well, you're no Kristi Yamaguchi, but I guess there's only one way to find out."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the city of Hyperion Falls, the excited shouts and laughter of children could be heard as several families congregated at one of the local parks for sledding and playing in the snow. While children busily built snowmen or climbed the hills with their sleds, a powerful gust of cold icy wind began to blow. As that happened, several parents looked up in surprise to notice the sky darken with clouds while the temperature began to quickly drop. Sensing the unusual change in weather, many of the children stopped and started to hurry back to the adults who began calling out to them.

When they did, the wind intensified and a blinding curtain of snow blanketed the area for a moment before the haunting figure of a blue skinned women emerged. She wore a flowing dress of dark blue and her long white hair blew amid the swirling wind. Despite a hint of beauty in her features, there was a sense of savagery and malice underneath that terrified the citizens in the park when they saw her.

As the Cambion demoness approached slowly, she gave a cruel smile, "Foolish mortals. You have no respect for the cruelty of winter. Instead you make a mockery of the ice with your snowy effigies and your games. I, Frigya will teach you all to cower." With a shriek, she surged toward the horrified people in the park with a blinding wall of snow and ice rising in her wake.

* * *

The next evening, the Rangers minus Claire all sat together in their dormitory common room watching TV and hanging out after dinner.

"Any luck yet?" Danny asked spinning around in a swiveling chair while Nick kept flipping channels on the television.

"I'm afraid not," Nick muttered in disappointment, "I was really hoping they'd be broadcasting that football game tonight too."

"Not as much as Professor Bishop was," Joe laughed while reclining on the couch, "Even if he's cheering for the other team, he told me he hardly gets to see any Chicago Bears games televised out here."

The others smiled thinking about the unusual sight of their professor that morning, lecturing while wearing a navy blue and orange jersey of his hometown.

As Nick left the channel on a news station, Izzy turned to the others, "Hey, before I forget... the holidays are coming up and I was wondering if you guys wanted to go do something fun."

The Green Ranger took a seat on the couch and gave a thoughtful smile, "Sure. Why not? Did you have any particular activity in mind?"

At that moment, Claire walked in with a tired look on her face while still rubbing her sore bottom.

"Hey Claire! Where have you been?" Joe asked scooting over so she could take a seat next to him.

"Sorry, I've been kinda busy at the rec center," she sighed gingerly sitting down, "I recently took up ice skating and thought I'd practice a little more."

Danny gave Claire an amused thumbs up while Izzy's eyes lit up, "Claire! That's a great idea! I know they've set up a huge ice rink downtown in the central plaza. Why don't we all go skating?"

"Sounds fun to me," Joe grinned while the other male Rangers nodded in agreement, "Count us in."

Claire readjusted her glasses and gave a nervous laugh, "Oh, I don't know Iz. Are you really sure about that? Couldn't we just, I don't know... build snowmen and drink hot chocolate here?"

"No way!" the Pink Ranger continued excitedly, "They'll be setting up lights and decorations before Christmas, and a lot will be going in the city. Besides, you can put all that skating practice to good use and show off for us. Come on, it'll be fun."

Claire gave an uncertain glance over to where Danny sat and the Blue Ranger nodded his head with an encouraging smile.

"Well... ok. I guess so," Claire relented giving a sigh as the others momentarily turned toward the TV.

On the screen, a news reporter was talking about the weather forecast and noted, "For those planning to go outside this coming weekend, be sure to stay safe and bundle up. We've received numerous reports of people being affected by hypothermia, likely being caused by some icy gales coming off the mountains..."

"Hmmm, I wonder if that cute pink coat I got recently will be warm enough," Izzy mused to herself with a thoughtful look.

"Oh, don't worry Iz," Danny laughed walking over toward the couch, "If one of us gets cold we can always cuddle up to stay warm."

"You look a little cold right now Dan. You can cuddle with me," Nick laughed grabbing Danny and pulling him over the couch into a wrestling hold. The girls could only laugh as Danny tumbled over Joe causing both to squawk as the three male Rangers became a jumbled tangle of limbs.

Despite Claire's laughter, she still couldn't help but feel a little uneasy and nervous inside. Despite the funny sight of her three male friends right now, she was still more afraid of looking just as ridiculous, except on the ice.

* * *

The next afternoon, Claire made her way alone toward the rec center after class. Despite her sore ankles and bottom, she was determined to be steady on her feet come that weekend in the city. As she walked, she noticed that the snow had begun to fall and as she continued on her way, it only began to increase. There really weren't many people outside in this corner of campus right now, but she wasn't worried. Rather, she took a long moment to admire the fat snowflakes falling from the sky. As she did that, she suddenly felt a cold brisk wind across her face as several panicked cries rang out.

Snapping to attention, the White Ranger turned her head and looked in the near distance to where a small handful of students had been having a snowball fight. Instead, they were now cowering before the terrifying figure of a blue skinned witch materializing out of the blizzard.

Claire shivered from the sudden drop in temperature as she grabbed her phone to text a quick warning to her friends. In an instant, she heard the Cambion witch give a terrible laugh before engulfing the students in a powerful wall of ice and sleet. When the wind cleared, the Ranger looked in horror to see the students collapsed in the snow, barely twitching in frozen shock. Their faces were almost blue and they struggled to move their lips. Whether they were trying to speak or scream, Claire couldn't be quite sure.

"And where do you think you're going little girl?" the Cambion witch Frygia called with a cruel smile as she turned in Claire's direction. "No matter. I'll freeze you like I did your classmates."

"I don't think so," Claire called back, trying to sound confident and swallow her fear. Pulling out her Keyrune, she held it out toward the demoness, "You just messed with the wrong little girl! Vanguard Ascend!"

In a bright flash and a cold rush of air, the White Vanguard Ranger stood against Frygia quickly drawing her Feather Saber.

"Isn't that precious?" the winter witch laughed mockingly, "Your fate will be no different!"

In an instant Frygia rode the cold wind and rushed at the Ranger. Standing her ground, Claire swung her gladius in wide clumsy arcs while the Cambion slipped around the strikes and swirled around her.

Growling in frustration, Claire pulled her Feather Stinger pistol and fired off several shots at close range, but again Frygia dodged the blaster fire with mocking laughter. "You call yourself a warrior? You are clumsy and sloppy."

With the wave of her arms, Frygia created two large bladed shields shaped like snowflakes and deflected Claire's next volley of shots.

Giving a laugh, Frygia rode the wind and swirled around the White Ranger like a dizzying snowy tornado, striking her several times along with her flying ice shields. As the blizzard died down and Frygia recovered her shields, Claire was thrown hard to the ground and struggled to rise from the snow.

"I'm disappointed White Ranger," Frygia sneered raising her bladed shield, "I would have thought you'd put up more of a fight."

From the ground, Claire raised her arm to feebly defend herself as the Cambion threw the spinning projectile directly at her. In an instant, a hot jet of fire erupted from above and destroyed the bladed snowflake.

"Hang in there Claire! We're here!" Joe called leading the other four morphed Rangers into battle. Frygia gave a furious hiss as the Red Vanguard Ranger fired off another searing bolt of fire from his Keyrune and rushed to the side of his fallen ally.

"Are you ok?" he asked in concern, helping her up to her knees and steadying her.

Claire groaned and leaned into him with a half nod, "Yeah, I'll live."

She watched as the other three Rangers charged past them with their weapons drawn to take on the demoness.

Danny charged in first and used his spear to pole vault over Frygia and land behind her. Reversing his grip, he made a thrusting attack which the Cambion stopped, grabbing the spearhead with her free hand. In her moment of distraction, Nick charged forward and brought his warhammer around, forcing Frygia to raise her other shield and block the strike. As the hammer connected, Frygia cried out in fury as the weapon shattered her icy shield. Shifting sideways, the Green Ranger moved out of the way as Izzy did an impressive flying vault and brought her own rapier point down on the startled monster.

Frygia roared and flew backwards from the blow, but gave a vengeful growl as she rose again. "This isn't over yet Rangers!"

With a furious wave of her arm, she cloaked herself in a blinding gust of snow before disappearing.

From where she knelt on the ground, Claire could only gawk at her fellow Rangers' superior athleticism and skill in hand to hand combat. Having been overwhelmed so quickly was a humiliating feeling and Claire lowered her head as the others came to check on her.

"Hey, are you ok?" Izzy asked in concern reaching out to her fellow female Ranger. Claire waved her away and rose, gently shrugging off Joe's hands on her shoulders.

"No! I'm not ok!" the White Ranger snapped defensively, "That monster was right. I'm holding you guys back right now."

"Claire, no one thinks that," Nick said gently, "We're actually going to need your help now. Those students over in the snow were hurt by the monster."

The White Ranger shook her head and powered down, walking away from the other Rangers, "No. I'm sure you guys can take care of it without me."

"Claire! Wait!" Joe called, "Where are you going?"

"I have more training to do," Claire muttered continuing on her way.

The Red Ranger moved to go after her but Danny stopped him and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Wait. Let me talk to her. I think I know where she's going. The rest of you should go get help for those victims."

The Red Ranger looked to Danny for a long moment before giving a nod and signaling both Nick and Izzy. "Come on you two. Let's go see what we can do for these injured students."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **For any readers here who are also from Chicago, Professor Bishop is one of us and a diehard football fan too. Go Bears!**


	12. The Stinging Blizzard

**Episode 6: Part 2**

* * *

The fading light of the late afternoon sun streamed in through the skylights of the rec center's ice rink as Claire picked herself up again and continued to skate alone. She had gotten the basic rhythm down. She could balance and skate in straight lines then stop. It was the sharper turns and higher speeds that still gave her trouble. As she picked up speed and leaned around a turn, she lost her balance again and fell over.

For a moment, she lay dejectedly on the cold hard ice. Hot tears of frustration welled up at the corner of her eyes until she heard another pair of skates slide up from behind.

"Hey, you look like you could use a hand up." Danny said with a gentle smile kneeling down and offering his hand.

"Just leave me alone," Claire sighed reluctantly as he helped her to her feet. "This is something I have to do for myself."

The Blue Ranger shook his head, "Listen, is this because you needed help against that monster earlier? It isn't the end of the world you know."

"No," she replied pushing off onto the ice again, "You don't understand. I got beat out there Danny, and do you know why? It's because I'm not as good as the rest of you when it comes to physical activities or hand to hand combat."

"Well, that's ok. We all have our weak points."

Claire shook her head, "Not in this case. I'm a Ranger now, so I need to get better!"

Danny continued to skate alongside her with a sigh, "You're really serious about this, huh? I'll keep helping you then… except you're going about it the wrong way."

The White Ranger stopped and frowned in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Well, for starters, you're focusing too much on the technique of skating and not actually enjoying yourself. You also got to let it come naturally. Your movements are too rigid and inflexible, like the ice. Sometimes, you need to flow and move like water instead."

Claire stopped a moment and thought it over. "Ok, move like water. You'll show me?"

Danny grinned and nodded, pushing off onto the ice, "Come on. Try to catch me if you can."

* * *

The next day, the Rangers followed through on their plan, and took a bus ride into the city. Despite the festive atmosphere, the five were still a little on edge after the recent monster attack. Although Claire seemed to be in better spirits, no one else mentioned her prior outburst and decided to leave it alone for the time being.

After renting some skates, the five friends made their way to the city's large central plaza where early Christmas lights and decorations were hung in a colorful display around the huge outdoor ice rink. A light snow fell as the Rangers were surrounded by laughing people and happy families enjoying the holiday stalls set up. Already, they could smell baked cinnamon and peppermint treats along with the aroma of hot spiced wine.

"This is gonna be awesome!" Danny smiled taking to the ice and doing a small spinning pirouette. With effortless grace, the Blue Ranger came back around to a sliding stop as his friends gave impressed laughs. Gallantly holding out his hand to Izzy he grinned, "Miss Herrera, would you care to skate?"

The Pink Ranger gave a look of surprise before giving an impressed smile.

"Sure. Why not?" she laughed as she took his arm and the two merged in with the other skaters going around the rink.

Meanwhile, Nick lagged behind skating in the slow lane with his arms hooked around both Claire and Joe's for support.

"Thanks you guys. I was never really good at this," Nick admitted laughing at himself sheepishly, "But I'm not gonna let that stop me from having a little fun either."

To be honest, the White Ranger didn't mind at all. She wished she had Nick's humility and confidence. She didn't have to stand out at the moment and was content to look like a more competent skater simply by helping to steady her burly friend.

After a few laps around the rink, Nick headed off to the side wall and gave a wave, "You guys go ahead. I'm gonna grab some hot chocolate."

As the Green Ranger began to make his way off the rink, Joe and Claire looked across the ice to where Danny and Izzy where skating. Every so often the Blue Ranger would playfully skate a ring around her to make her laugh before letting Izzy take his arm again to keep up her speed.

"Well, it looks like they're having fun," Claire noted with a genuine smile, "Good for Danny."

"That doesn't mean we can't join in the fun either," Joe grinned gently taking her hand and urging her into the fast lane, "What do you say Claire?"

The White Ranger gave him a surprised look and hesitated for a moment before a cold wind suddenly blew across the rink. Both Rangers slowed down and looked up to the skies in dread as they saw the sky darken and the snowfall intensify. As Danny and Izzy joined them, other skaters on the rink looked about in worried confusion as they felt the temperature begin to drop quickly.

"You aren't thinking what I'm thinking, are you?" Izzy muttered reaching for the Keyrune in her coat pocket.

To the winter festival goers' surprise, a small whirlwind of snow descended from the gray clouds and touched down on the rink. As the winds subsided, the Cambion witch Frygia stood before the crowd with a wicked smile. At her bare blue feet, the ice of the rink cracked under the extreme cold that she radiated.

"You arrogant mortals still haven't learned your lesson, have you? The harsh winter elements are not to be trifled with."

With the wave of her hand, a row of ice spikes violently erupted from the rink knocking aside skaters while she waved her other arm and demolished some nearby stalls with a powerful gust of frozen wind. As people began to scream and flee in panic, the four Rangers stood their ground and brandished their Keyrunes. "Everyone ready?" Joe called, "Vanguard Ascend!"

In a flash, all four students morphed into the Vanguard Rangers and confronted the demon witch.

"There you are," the demoness purred, "I was wondering when I'd get the chance to destroy you again."

"Today's not your day!" Nick called as the others turned to see a morphed Green Ranger drive a zamboni out on the ice and plow into the witch. Frygia screeched in fury as Nick hopped off and let the zamboni crash into one of the ice rink's walls.

"What the hell is going on?" the Red Ranger uttered in shock as he watched Nick hurry back over to them.

Danny greeted him with an amused fist bump, "10 points for style man. Nicely done."

The Rangers didn't have long to celebrate as the witch hurled the zamboni aside and rose again with a furious blue aura. "You'll pay for that!"

The Pink Ranger reacted first and drew her gladius, "Let's get her!"

As she began to rush forward, Izzy forgot she was standing on ice and began to slip clumsily on her boots. The moment cost her as Frygia unleashed a powerful wave of icy air on her. Shouting a warning, the Green Ranger pushed her out of the way and took the blast, finding his body from the neck down completely frozen in a block of ice.

The other Rangers looked on in shock as the immobilized Nick fell over. As he helplessly struggled on the ground, he looked like a ridiculous human popsicle. Clenching her fist, Izzy attacked again, this time taking to the air with a winged leap, but Frygia waved her arm again and struck the Pink Ranger with another frigid blast of air. Like Nick, Izzy fell to the rink and helplessly struggled against the ice that immobilized her body.

Frygia laughed and advanced on the other 3 Rangers, summoning her whirling snowflake shields again. While she did, the Rangers began to backpedal at the dire situation.

"What do we do Joe?" Claire gulped, reaching for the blaster pistol at her waist.

"Short of getting our butts handed to us, I'm also open to suggestions right now," the Blue Ranger added fearfully.

Giving his two remaining teammates a glance, Joe summoned his fiery saber sword. "Stay calm and focus everyone. We need to get through that demon's shields. Danny, you're the best skater here. I want you to draw that witch away and lure her into striking position."

Turning to Claire, he said quickly, "Get your bow ready. I'll guard you and take out the shields. It's up to you to make the kill shot."

"Wait, you really want me to do this?" Claire asked hesitantly.

The Red Ranger nodded while keeping his guard up against the approaching Cambion, "I trust you Claire. I know you can do this."

"You want to kick some demon butt and get a little payback?" Danny added calling over, "Now's your chance."

Summoning her bow, the White Ranger gripped it tightly and nodded, "Ok."

As Frygia approached, Danny powered down and planted his skates in the ice. "All right, here goes nothing." Pivoting sideways, he quickly darted toward the edge of the rink calling taunts at the witch. "Hey you blue skinned hag! Come and get me!"

Frygia snarled and took to the air, firing off blasts of frozen wind while causing ice spikes to rise from the rink. While the Blue Ranger sped about the ice nimbly dodging the attacks, Joe and Claire fell back to take positions on the other side of the rink.

Danny took a sharp sliding turn and made another leap over a low row of ice spikes, charging back toward his friends with Frygia in hot pursuit. As he skated, the witch's two razor sharp snowflake shields made buzzing swipes at his legs and head.

"Now!" he cried quickly changing direction as Frygia hit him in the legs with her frozen wind.

Danny gasped as his legs buckled and froze from the knees down. While the Blue Ranger fell over and skidded away, Joe slashed his blazing saber and halted Frygia with a small wall of fire. The witch recoiled with a hiss and turned her shields on him.

"Get ready!" the Red Ranger called to his remaining teammate as he raised his sword and slashed at the first shield. Claire readied her frost arrow as Joe hacked through the first snowflake. As if reading each other's minds, the witch and the Red Ranger raised their weapons and fired off a competing stream of fire and frost.

While steam rose from the opposing elements, Frygia's shield cracked, but she turned aside the Red Ranger's flamethrower and overpowered his magic with her own. Claire gasped as the Red Ranger was thrown sideways on the rink, both his weapon and his forearms now frozen in ice.

The White Ranger took a step back as the Cambion witch turned to face her. Frygia now appeared haggard from exposure to the fire, but she also wore an enraged look at having been challenged so much. "And now for the weakling. It's just you and me again little girl."

Claire looked in fear toward the witch and glanced to the helpless forms of her stunned teammates. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself and gripped her bow. Now was the time to use her new skills and she would only get one shot.

Facing Frygia, Claire powered down while still holding her weapon. "Take your best shot."

Frygia snarled and whipped her arm around, firing another volley of frost and ice at the White Ranger. Taking Danny's advice, Claire dug her skates into the rink and pushed off, relaxing her movements to help dodge the witch's attacks. Using her speed and momentum, she slid and made controlled turns to avoid the jagged spikes while advancing.

The Cambion gave a surprised look and raised her shield, along with a high wall of jagged ice spikes in front of her. As Claire sped toward her target, she drew her own Keyrune and fired off an icy blast of her own to reform the spikes into a small ramp.

To the witch's shock, the White Ranger coasted off the ramp and flew over her head in a flip, only to land right behind her. As Claire landed on her blades, she shifted into a half pirouette and turned her bow on the Cambion with a fully charged arrow.

"No! This can't be!" Frygia shrieked as Claire let loose a point blank shot into the Cambion's heart. The powerful icy bolt tore through the demon and Frygia erupted into a violent burst of snow and ice shards, throwing the White Ranger backwards along the rink.

As Claire lay on the ice in exhaustion, she couldn't help but smile as the dark snow clouds overhead began to clear. While part of it was from relief, she couldn't help but be proud of herself too. All her skating practice and struggling had finally begun to pay off.

Rising to her feet, Claire hurried over to where Joe and Danny lay. Their arms and legs were still locked in place by solid ice and they continued to struggle against it. To her relief, they both sat upright and looked relatively unharmed.

"That was amazing Claire! I didn't know you had that in you!" Joe beamed as she came over and used her Keyrune to dispel the ice. Once his arms were free, he pulled her into a relieved hug, "I'm just glad you're ok."

"Oh, come on. It was nothing…" she muttered sheepishly with a small blush, "To be honest, I didn't really think I could do that either."

"Nonsense," Danny chuckled as she knelt down to free his legs from the ice next. "That was all you. It's not every day a Ranger saves their whole team. Go ahead and boast a little."

Putting a proud arm around her shoulder and giving a squeeze, Danny added with a grin, "Besides, I was the one who taught you, so it makes me look good too. Isn't that right my young Padawan?"

Claire couldn't help but smile and laugh as she affectionately squeezed his wrist back, "I guess I can't argue there. Now come on, I think Izzy and Nick still need to be thawed out."

* * *

A few days later, Danny sat by himself at a table in the Mugshot café. As he enjoyed a hot cup of afternoon coffee, he idly did a crossword puzzle to delay going back out into the snow outside. After taking another sip, he looked up to see the familiar white winter coat of Claire as she approached with a coffee cup and her book bag.

"Hey, I thought I'd find you here," she called, "Can I join you?"

"By all means," Danny said putting down his crossword puzzle and gesturing to the open seats around him.

"Have you read the newspaper?" Claire asked sitting down across from him. "Sounds like we cleared out just in time from that monster attack a few days ago."

The Blue Ranger nodded, "Even if the Power Rangers were credited for the save, fortunately no one was around to witness the actual battle. It seems our identities are safe for now."

Claire nodded, "About that, I just wanted to thank you again for helping me learn to skate. I mean, it actually helped save our butts out there and because of that, I also feel a little more confident now... like I'm actually contributing in the fight."

Danny shrugged and gestured to his skull, "Don't be so hard on yourself. You're already the smartest one among us, so just because you can't swing a sword as well or jump as high, doesn't mean you can't still be dangerous in your own way."

"Very insightful and encouraging," Claire chuckled, "You were almost beginning to sound like Joe for a minute there."

Danny smiled, "Nah. If being the Red Ranger means more work and responsibility, then he can keep the leadership position. Speaking of, where is he?"

Claire gave an amused laugh, "Back at the dorm helping to nurse Nick and Izzy back to health. It seems like being frozen in a block of ice gave them both a pretty nasty cold. Between the two of them, that's a lot of chicken soup, kleenex, and comfort item runs. Poor guy."

"How come you aren't there trying to help him out?" Danny asked curiously.

The White Ranger gave a devilish smirk and pulled out a large book from her backpack, "Because I was going to be busy helping you in return for teaching me to skate."

"Oh?" Danny asked nervously eying the thick book.

Claire nodded, "Yup. I heard you've been sluffing off in your Calculus class, so I'm going to help you study for your next exam."

"Couldn't you have just baked me cookies or something instead?" the Blue Ranger groaned as he desperately began wishing for another monster attack.

"I could have, but they're nowhere near as useful as learning these algorithms." Claire chirped with a proud look, "Now grab a sheet of paper. We've got a lot of work to do."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **I guess no good deed goes unpunished after all, huh? We've got one more more character spotlight left before we shift gears and raise the stakes again. As for a Sixth Ranger, I might have one in the near future, but I'll also kinda leave it up to you readers. I'm totally open to any input. Thanks again for reading everyone!**


	13. The Burdens of Leadership

**Episode 7: Part 1**

* * *

Joe Hale shook his wrist out as he continued taking notes during Professor Bishop's History lecture that morning. Nearby, his four other friends sat in varying states of attention. Claire furiously scribbled in her notebook while Izzy sat doodling pictures of flowers and cute animals instead. In the next row, Nick gave a bored yawn as Danny reclined back in his seat with his usual nonchalant posture.

"Starting in 334 B.C. Alexander the Great forged one of the largest empires of the ancient world from the small Greek city state of Macedonia." Professor Bishop said, "Even at a young age, he showed himself to be a shrewd ruler and a brilliant military commander whose leadership won great victories against overwhelming odds."

At that, Nick grinned and gave Joe a light nudge, "I'll bet he didn't have to fight any army of Cambion demons though."

Bishop continued, "For example, at the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander defeated a Persian army 5 times the size of his. While the Greek infantry stood their ground, Alexander and his well trained Companion Cavalry were able to maneuver around and make a bold direct attack on the Persian king himself."

"How were they even able to pull that off?" Claire asked aloud, "I mean, the Greek army was outnumbered and they still made a direct attack? Why would any of Alexander's soldiers take such an insane risk?"

Bishop smiled, "Because they believed in their leader and his ability to see them to victory. Alexander understood the great risk involved, but he also had a great deal of faith and trust in his troops. He was noted for putting himself in danger by fighting alongside his men. That in turn won Alexander the love and respect of his soldiers. That is why he could count on them to do whatever had to be done in order to win their battles."

Stopping to look at his wristwatch, Bishop shrugged, "And that looks like all the time we have for today. Remember, your term papers will be due in two weeks. Class dismissed."

As the Rangers filed out of the lecture hall, Joe followed behind his other friends while they laughed and joked amongst each other. Professor Bishop's words had made him think about the threat posed by their Cambion enemies. The battles were only getting more difficult and he quietly wondered how much longer the Rangers would be able to continue fighting them off. After all, it's not like he was some great king or brilliant military leader like Alexander the Great was. He couldn't help but wonder for a moment if the others worried about the situation like he did.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted as he heard his name called from behind. Joe turned in surprise to see the familiar face of Izzy's sorority sister Jen Kaufman hurrying down the hallway to catch up to him. "Hey Joe! I'm glad I caught you. Do you have a minute?"

The Red Ranger felt his heart skip a few beats as he tried to remain cool and collected, "Yeah, sure. What's up Jen?"

The short brunette girl gave a relieved smile, "I just wanted to thank you again for all your help in editing my part of the group project in English class. You really went above and beyond for me, and I know we'll get an awesome grade."

"Oh… don't mention it. I was happy to help," Joe replied with a bashful smile, ignoring the fact that he actually lost quite a bit of sleep the prior week because of it. "Hey, if I remember, didn't you say you were taking the same Psychology class as me for an elective next semester?"

"Yup, and I'm confident if you're also leading any team projects in that class, we'll do great there too." Jen winked.

Nearby, the other Rangers stopped to watch the exchange with amusement... everyone except for Claire. The White Ranger crossed her arms and wrinkled her nose, "Any bets Jen is just looking for an easy ticket to a good grade?" she muttered disapprovingly.

Danny gave a small knowing smirk, "That's a pretty quick accusation Claire. Do you know something we don't?"

Claire gave him a surprised look before turning away with a huff, "I... no. Just call it female intuition."

Nick rolled his eyes at Claire's comment as Joe rejoined his friends walking down the hallway. "Everything ok there chief?" the Green Ranger asked.

"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?" Joe replied trying to sound indifferent as they exited the building. "Jen just wanted to talk about our team project in another class."

"We know," Izzy giggled playfully taking his arm as they walked, "We're just making sure you'll be able lead that team with a clear head too."

The Red Ranger gave an exasperated sigh as Danny, Nick, and Izzy began laughing again. It was going to be a long walk back to the dormitory.

* * *

The loud ringing sounds of steel echoed from the dark dungeon of Gideon's prison spire as General Abaddon threw back several Magog soldiers with one powerful swing of his battle axe. As the Cambion warlord advanced with his menacing weapon, the group of injured Magogs who had been sparring with him cowered in fear.

"Pathetic," Abaddon grunted in disgust while the foot soldiers rose to their feet and skulked away into the shadows, "Do you think the Power Rangers will be any easier on you than I was?"

The scarred warlord lowered his axe and spat on the ground as the chamber doors opened and his rival Shemhazai entered. Her long flowing robes trailed after her as she stormed into the torch-lit dungeon.

The Cambion demoness quickly marched up to him with an angry look on her face and cried, "General Abaddon! This is unforgivable!"

Abaddon snorted and slowly turned his head toward his master's advisor. "What nonsense are you going on about this time, witch?"

"Nonsense?" Shemhazai spat in outrage, "You are the one who has sent a demon to attack the mortals without Lord Gideon's permission!"

"He never forbade me from doing so either Shemhazai," the warlord pointed out. "Tell me, where is Lord Gideon now?"

"He's locked himself in his throne to sulk after the defeat of his servant Frygia," Shemhazai answered crossing her arms.

Abaddon nodded and slung his axe upon his back, "Which is why I'm taking action now. While you waste your time talking and coming up with excuses for the failures of your own demons, I will continue the fight and win Lord Gideon's favor again."

"By dispatching another one of your hapless grunts?" the witch sniffed.

Abaddon shook his head and continued to walk away, "No. Baphomet is a lesser war chief within my legion. It's time for the Cambion army to start demonstrating its real power and leadership to those meddlesome Rangers."

As she watched the demon general depart, Shemhazai growled and said a quiet prayer that the Cambion warrior Abaddon sent to earth would fall in battle like the others.

* * *

A few days later, Danny made his way out of the busy lunch line in the dormitory cafeteria and looked down at his tray with a discouraged sigh.

"Yuck. It's a bad omen when they serve meatloaf twice in one week," he said as he took a seat at a nearby table where Joe was finishing his lunch.

The distracted Red Ranger mumbled an agreement as he ate a bowl of clam chowder and read intently from a textbook. Tilting his head curiously, Danny eyed the small group of books his friend had stacked up nearby. "Let's see... campaigns of the ancient Roman army, Thucydides, and the Peloponnesian Wars. A little light reading?"

Joe looked up a moment and gave an apologetic smile, "Oh, sorry Danny. I was just reading over some of these books Professor Bishop loaned me."

"Why? Are you planning on conquering Carthage?" the Blue Ranger chuckled as he dug his fork into the meatloaf.

Joe shook his head, "Actually, Professor Bishop's lecture got me thinking recently. I was hoping I could find something here that will help us when we run into the bad guys next, whether it's a military tactic or a philosophy to understand the enemy."

Danny glanced around to where a few other oblivious students sat nearby before nodding, "That's actually a pretty good idea. Find anything useful yet?"

"Not really," the Red Ranger sighed, "If anything, it just makes me wonder even more how these great kings and generals did it."

Just then, his phone buzzed and he checked the text message. "I guess I'll have to figure it out later. Bishop says we have trouble in the city. Let's go!"

As Joe rose from the table and hurried out of the cafeteria, Danny took one more look down at his uneaten meatloaf and shrugged, "Well, it's not like I was really planning on eating lunch anyway." Giving another sigh, he got up and hurried to catch up with the other Rangers.

* * *

Small explosions and fires erupted from one of the larger rail yards in the city of Hyperion Falls. Railway workers and train passengers fled in panic as a platoon of Magog soldiers chased them off and began causing damage to some parked trains in the yard. As they did, their Cambion commander, Baphomet nodded in satisfaction.

The powerfully built demon with a goat head and large curled ram horns gave a laugh. "Keep at it Magogs! What good is attacking a random civilian center when we can hit a much more practical target first?"

"End of the line demon!" came the voice of the Red Ranger as five winged Power Rangers swooped down from the winter skies and swiftly landed before the monster.

"Hey, is it just me, or are these demons getting uglier every time?" Nick taunted as the Cambion growled and stepped forward drawing a flanged mace.

"You arrogant mortals actually think you can pretend to wield the Empyrians' power and humiliate General Abaddon? I, Baphomet teach you what happens to those who stand against the will of Lord Gideon!"

Joe paused a moment in surprise, "Gideon? As in the leader of all the Cambion demons?" Shaking his head, he drew his Feather Stinger pistol against the approaching monster, "It doesn't matter. We'll put you down like all the others. Rangers?"

The other four drew their pistols in unison and took aim. "Ready on three?"

"Three!" all the Rangers immediately called opening fire on the Cambion commander.

Baphomet staggered back slightly as he was hit by a volley of golden blaster fire. Giving a growl, he waved his mace forward, "Magogs! Attack!"

As the Rangers turned to face the charging platoon of red skinned demon foot soldiers, Izzy looked over to see Baphomet turning tail and retreating from the battlefield. "Hey you guys! He's getting away!"

Switching out weapons for his gladius, Joe gave a growl as he quickly sized up the situation. "Ok Rangers, new plan. I'm going to try to run down that demon. Nick you're with me. The rest of you, think you can take out these grunts?"

"Piece of cake," Danny answered with a confident thumbs up, "Leave it to us."

With that, the Rangers split up into two teams as Joe and Nick charged deeper into the train yard to intercept the fleeing Cambion. While a furious melee erupted between the other Rangers and the Magogs, the Red and Green Rangers ran across the snowy train tracks navigating through rows of the parked locomotives.

"It's awfully quiet," Nick muttered gripping his gladius tightly, "Where did he go?"

The two friends passed another row of trains and gasped as Baphomet surprised them, leaping from atop one of the trains. The Rangers jumped out of the way as the beast landed and raised their guards to block their enemy's mace blow. Using his great strength, the demon pushed back and shoved the Red Ranger aside to spread his enemies out.

Giving a snort, the Cambion turned his attention to the Green Ranger and took advantage of Nick's lack of finesse with a short sword, beating the Ranger's guard down and landing a hammering blow with his mace. As Nick spun sideways to the ground, the demon's advance was halted as Joe leapt over its head from behind and parried the monster's next blow. Turning aside the Cambion's weapon with a dextrous maneuver, the Red Ranger counterattacked and slashed Baphomet across the face with his own gladius.

The wounded demon gave a furious roar but surprised the Ranger by dropping his head and bull-rushing him with his horns. Joe gasped and raised his guard just in time as the force of the headbutt disarmed him and sent the Ranger flying backward. As Joe skidded to a hard stop on the icy ground, he struggled to rise, still dazed from the force of the demon's last attack.

"If you want to maim me, I'll do the same to you!" the Cambion growled lowering his ram horns again and firing off a powerful blast of dark fire from the tips of them.

To Joe's horror, Nick suddenly leapt to his feet and jumped in the way of the attack to protect his friend. The attack erupted in a violent fireball and the Green Ranger was thrown back into a nearby train, denting the side of it. As the Ranger slumped over, Joe gave a panicked shout as Nick demorphed and seemed to pass out.

After witnessing the event in momentary surprise, the horned demon began to laugh, "Well, that still worked out. One down, four to go."

The Red Ranger turned on the monster and drew his pistol in rage. As Joe began to shout in fury and fire off several wild shots, the demon clutched its wounded face and withdrew. "It looks like we're even for now. We'll finish this later Red Ranger."

"Come back here and fight, you coward!" Joe shouted in vain as he fired off a few more shots at the fading monster.

At that moment, the other Rangers rejoined him, having easily defeated the Cambion foot soldiers. "What's going on here?" Claire called in worry as Joe tossed his pistol away and rushed to Nick's side.

The other Rangers hurried over in dread as they saw Nick's eyes flutter in and out of consciousness. "Hey! Stay with us buddy," Joe pleaded in fear as he powered down and grabbed his cell phone. "Please! Hang in there. We'll get help. Just hold on!"

Nick gave a weary nod as he put his head back and passed out.

* * *

When Nick regained consciousness, he cracked open his bleary eyes and looked around. His head was still swimming and he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, where he had taken the brunt of the monster's attack. Wincing in pain, he tried to shift over and found himself lying in a bed with his arm in a sling.

"Hey! He's waking up!" Izzy gasped in relief calling the other Rangers over.

"Where am I?" Nick croaked, "And what happened?"

Danny put a gentle hand out to restrain him and said, "Easy there big guy. We're in the college's hospital building. You gave us a bit of a scare earlier."

Nick nodded for a moment before another worried look crossed his face. As if sensing his next question, Claire answered, "Don't worry. We told the doctor you fell on some ice and took a bad spill. You're really lucky you only got away with a minor dislocated shoulder and a concussion."

"Just like football season then," Nick groaned putting his head back. Glancing over, he turned to see his roommate standing aside with a guilty look on his face. "You ok there Joe?"

The Red Ranger gave a pained wince and shook his head, "I'm sorry Nick. This is all my fault that you got hurt."

The Green Ranger shook his head slightly, "Don't blame yourself. I just wanted to protect you and it was still my choice to try and block that demon's attack."

"A choice you wouldn't have had to make if I made a better decision in the first place," Joe countered, "I made a bad call on the battlefield today. I should never have split the team, and I wound up putting everyone at greater risk because of it."

"Come on Joe," Izzy cut in gently putting a hand on his shoulder, "Mistakes happen. We all had our part to play in it too."

"It doesn't matter," he answered shrugging it off with an edge in his voice, "If you all want me to lead this team, then it's my responsibility to keep you all safe... and I failed to do that today. I'm sorry Nick."

Shaking his head again, the Red Ranger turned and quietly left the recovery room leaving the other four Rangers sitting in grim silence.


	14. The Radiant Torch

**Episode 7: Part 2**

* * *

Professor Bishop sat back in the comfortable chair of his small office while he watched the falling snow from his window. Despite the age of the old stone Rookery building, Bishop's office felt safe and cozy with its old throw rugs and the glowing warmth of the crackling fireplace nearby. As he turned back to his lesson plans, he heard a knock at the door and looked up in surprise to see Joe slowly enter. "Mr. Hale, come on in."

The Red Ranger gave a glum nod, brushing off some snow from his black pea coat and red scarf.

"I heard about Nick yesterday," Bishop began gently. "How is he doing?"

"Better now," Joe replied sitting down in a nearby armchair, "Thankfully the doctor said he just needs to rest and take painkillers for a week or two."

"And what about you?" the young professor asked fixing his student with a curious look. "How are you holding up?"

The Red Ranger grimaced, "Honestly, I don't know. This is the first time something like this has happened. I don't think it's really set in for us just how dangerous being a Power Ranger is… until now. I still can't help but feel it was my fault."

"Maybe, but all you can do now is to just learn from it and move forward." Bishop said, "If you're going to take it upon yourself to be responsible for the rest of the Rangers, then you need to do so with a clear head."

"But that's just it!" Joe exclaimed in frustration, "I don't want to get everyone killed. How can I even trust myself to make the right call out there without second guessing my every word now?"

Bishop leaned back in his chair and gave a long thoughtful look, "Do you remember my last lecture about Alexander the Great? His soldiers had complete trust in him and believed that he could lead them to victory. Remember that they chose you Joe. I can already see that the other Rangers have faith in you, so there's no reason you should doubt their ability to protect themselves or your own ability to lead them either."

Giving a sigh, Bishop turned his head, "Whether or not we want to admit it, we are at war with these Cambion monsters now. There is very real danger of getting hurt, and everyone is coming to accept that truth. The question now becomes, are you?"

Joe glanced at the professor with a solemn expression before reaching into his backpack. Placing the history books he borrowed back on Bishop's desk, he said, "Thanks for the books Professor. I've still got some thinking to do."

Bishop gave a sigh as the Red Ranger rose from his seat and departed the office, gently closing the door behind him. Cupping his hands, the Professor looked over to his newest stack of research and grimaced. Now was probably not the best time to reveal his newest findings. In spite of its sensitive nature, he could only hope that the Vanguard Rangers would be able to find a way to turn things around soon.

* * *

Later that night, Izzy walked toward the dormitory hallway of the girl's wing. She was headed back to her room to go to bed for the evening when she passed the common room adjoining the wings. To her surprise, she found Claire sitting all by herself at a chair near the outside window. The White Ranger was dressed in pajama pants and a white sweater and looked like she had been studying. Instead, her textbook remained open on a nearby desk while she gazed out the window at the falling snow.

Giving a small knock at the door, Izzy poked her head in, "Hey. It's getting kind of late. Shouldn't you be going to bed soon?"

"Sorry," Claire muttered turning in surprise, "I couldn't sleep. I just had a lot on my mind tonight... about everything that happened recently."

Izzy nodded quietly and sat down nearby, "I know what you mean. I was kinda scared too, but I'm glad Nick is going to be fine."

Claire nodded, "I couldn't help but be a little worried about Joe too. He came back late today and hardly said a word at dinner. When I tried to talk to him later, he just said he was tired and went bed early."

"Can you blame him?" the Pink Ranger shrugged, "He saw his best friend get hurt and is probably worried about all of us now too."

Claire sighed, "Maybe. I just wish there was something we could do, you know? I'm afraid he'll do something risky."

The Pink Ranger rose and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "You're really worried about him, huh?"

Claire just frowned and looked away sheepishly.

"I think I'm going to agree with Danny on this one," Izzy concluded, "Just give it some time. I'm sure our Red Ranger will come around and figure out a way to beat that monster. Now come on. We both need to get some sleep."

* * *

Early the next morning, Nick woke up and grunted from the dull ache in his shoulder. Popping a couple painkillers and taking a sip of water from the glass at his night stand, the Green Ranger looked around his dorm room in surprise. At the other end of the room, Joe's bed was already empty and the sheets were folded. Everything else looked to be order, except the Red Ranger's coat was gone, most likely along with his wallet, phone, and Keyrune.

As Nick rolled out of bed and curiously looked around the empty room, he wondered where his friend had gone, or what he was possibly going to do.

* * *

Meanwhile, Joe shivered and huddled in his winter coat as he patrolled the cold city streets of Hyperion Falls. It was an early Saturday morning and the city was beginning to come to life again as the light of the winter sun peeked past the buildings. Although there was a part of him that wanted to just be alone for now, that same part of him thought what he was doing was crazy too. It had been his hope that he would be able to track down the demon Baphomet and put a stop to the Cambion before any more innocent people got hurt. He knew it was dangerous, but this was also a personal grudge now.

Upon nearing the colorful lights and decorations of the city's shopping district, he looked down to find a small pair of purple fuzzy mittens on the ground. As he bent down to pick them up, he looked up as a small girl no older than five years old came running up to him. She was bundled up in a winter hat and coat and wore a big friendly smile on her face, "You found my mittens! Thanks mister!"

The Red Ranger smiled gently helping to put the mittens on her hands, "You should be careful kiddo. It's cold out here."

Moments later, the girl's father approached. "Laurel, don't go running off without me!"

"Look Daddy, this nice man found my mittens!" Laurel called proudly showing them to her father.

Turning to the Ranger the man sighed, "I'm sorry for the trouble sir. We were just shopping and Laurel dropped her mittens a few minutes ago."

"It was no trouble," Joe smiled giving Laurel a gentle pat on the head before her father lifted her back up into his arms. "Though isn't it a little early to be shopping? The stores must have just opened."

Laurel grinned brightly and waved her arms, "We were getting an early Christmas present before we visit Mommy!"

The father hushed her and explained, "We wanted to surprise my wife. She had been in the hospital after a recent monster attack."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Joe said feeling a twinge of guilt. "Will she be ok?"

The father nodded in relief, "She'll be fine, and it looks like she'll get discharged before Christmas, so we're just happy about that."

"It's becoming pretty dangerous around the city nowadays." Joe agreed, "I hope you both stay safe."

"I have faith in the new Power Rangers that showed up here," the father replied. "Even if my wife got hurt in the crossfire, we both know that they're doing their best to protect the people."

"I've seen them up close once," Joe sighed, "They're pretty amazing people."

At that, Laurel piped up, "Hey mister, I love the Power Rangers too, especially the Pink one. She's really pretty! If you ever see them again, can you tell them hi from me?"

Joe nodded and smiled, "Yeah, sure thing kiddo. And I hope your mom feels better soon too."

Just as he said goodbye to the family, several panicked cries were heard coming from the plaza as several small fires erupted from the outdoor shopping stalls. Joe turned in shock to see the demon Baphomet stomping through the plaza, terrorizing people and firing gouts of fire at storefronts from his horns. As the last of the fleeing people cleared out, the Cambion laughed, "Run now mortals! You won't know true fear until Lord Gideon arrives!"

He was immediately silenced as a bolt of fire struck him in the chest, staggering him a moment. Looking up, the horned demon growled in fury at the lone figure confronting him in the plaza, "And just who are you?"

Joe scowled and held out his red Keyrune, "Does this answer your question?"

"Red Ranger," Baphomet grinned drawing his mace, "You're back... and all alone. Have you come to pick up where we left off?"

"I've come to end you for good," Joe retorted. In a flash of light, the morphed Red Ranger stood before the demon and leveled his saber sword.

"We will see," the Cambion laughed charging forward across the empty plaza.

The sound of clashing steel weapons rang out as the Red Ranger and the demon exchanged blows in the winter air. While Baphomet possessed greater size and strength, Joe countered the advantages with his speed and agility. As the battle raged, neither combatant was able to land a blow and they locked weapons again.

Using his brute strength to force Joe to his knee, Baphomet snorted, "You really think you're going to avenge your Green friend? Once I'm done with you, I'm going to do the same to the others."

With an angry cry, the Red Ranger, parried the demon's mace aside and spun sideways, slashing the monster in the side. The Cambion staggered in surprise from the provoked Ranger and recoiled as Joe knocked his mace aside and hammered him with another furious slash.

Waving his arm, the Cambion called out, "Magogs! Help me!"

The Red Ranger stopped in surprise as a squad of Magog foot soldiers were summoned and momentarily distracted the hero. Giving a laugh, Baphomet regained his footing and aimed his horns at the Red Ranger, "This is it for you Ranger!"

As he swatted a minion away, Joe turned in horror and raised his guard just as Baphomet's fire blast exploded in front of him. The violent force of the blast threw him to the pavement and the stunned Red Ranger rolled to a stop, demorphing. Baphomet loomed over Joe and laughed as the Ranger looked up with a bruised face covered in soot and scrapes.

"Did you really think you could best me alone human? I'll destroy you, just like Lord Gideon will do to your arrogant race."

In an instant, Baphomet roared as another Ranger dove from above and smashed his skull with the powerful blow of a warhammer. The Cambion flew backwards amid a cloud of sparks and shattered horn fragments while 4 morphed Vanguard Rangers stood in defense of their downed friend.

"Nick… everyone, what are you doing here?" Joe grunted rising to his knees.

The Green Ranger reached down with his good arm and helped his friend up. "Making sure you don't try to go off on your own and do anything stupid."

"He's right," Danny chimed in, "We're a team now and we shoulder the burdens together."

"Besides," Nick added with a wink, "Claire got pretty worried and told us you had a bit of a hero complex anyway."

As he said that, the maimed Baphomet rose and gave a furious roar at having both his face and horns mangled. Summoning a large horde of Magog soldiers to assist him, he shouted "Destroy those Rangers!"

For a moment, the Rangers froze at the sight of so many enemies. Turning to Joe, Nick muttered, "That's an awful lot of Magogs. I don't suppose you have a plan, do you?"

The Red Ranger smiled slowly, "Yes. But I'm going to need my Companion Cavalry to do it."

"What are you talking about?" Izzy frowned in confusion, but Claire snapped her fingers in sudden realization.

"The Battle of Gaugamela Iz! We'll use the same tactics Alexander did: block the grunts and rush the leader."

Danny reached for his gladius, "Sounds pretty risky… but I think it just might work."

At that, Joe stepped forward to take the lead, "Everyone… I'll place my life in your hands, if you're still willing to put your lives into mine."

"Always," Izzy answered.

"Like you even need to ask," Danny laughed softly

"In a heartbeat," Claire nodded in agreement.

"We're right behind you," Nick grinned cracking his knuckles.

"All right then," Joe said with growing confidence as he raised his Keyrune, "Let's take it to them! Vanguard Ascend!"

In a flash of brilliant light, the Red Ranger reemerged with his weapon leading their roll call.

 _"The Radiant Torch, Vanguard Red!"_

 _"The Swirling Tempest, Vanguard Blue!"_

 _"The Rumbling Mountain, Vanguard Green!"_

 _"The Stinging Blizzard, Vanguard White!"_

 _"The Dancing Whirlwind, Vanguard Pink!"_

 _"The Light of the Past and the Hope of the Future! Power Rangers!"_ they chorused.

As the five heroes stood together, the Magog soldiers recoiled backwards, intimidated by the radiant light and rising courage of the celestial Rangers.

Brandishing his sword, the Red Ranger pointed it forward, "Vanguard, Take Flight!"

With a shout, all five Rangers charged forward with their weapons in a wedge formation. As they collided with the first wave of Magogs, Baphomet watched in awe as the heroes mowed down handfuls of troopers at a time. On one end of the battle line, Danny and Nick halted the foot soldiers, pushing back with their spear and hammer. At the other end, Claire and Izzy thinned out part of the Magog line with a withering hail of icy arrows and blaster fire. Having created a momentary gap in the Cambion line, Baphomet looked in surprise as the Red Ranger burst through the gap with a winged leap and charged directly at him with his weapon

While the Cambion line faltered, Joe shattered Baphomet's mace with a furious sword blow and hammered the monster again with a follow up strike. As the demon reeled, Joe raised his saber igniting it with a brilliant swirling fire.

"This is for Nick, and every other innocent person you demons have hurt."

Charging forward, the Red Ranger brought the blade down on Baphomet in a finishing blow, "Radiant Smite!"

The horned Cambion howled as the sword tore through him and he fell backwards, exploding in a great cloud of fire and brimstone.

Seeing their field commander utterly destroyed by a single Ranger, the remaining Magogs gaped in fear, dropping their weapons. As expected, the demoralized foot soldiers turned to flee from the other Rangers, back to the safety of the shadows where they came from. Giving a great sigh of relief, Joe lowered his weapon with a smile as the last of the Magogs retreated and his friends rushed over with a victorious cheer.

"I think professor Bishop would be really proud right now," Danny laughed. "Proud that we actually paid attention in his class."

"Not as proud as I am to call the four of you my friends," Joe smiled putting his hands on Danny and Nick's shoulders. Glancing at the quiet ruins of the city plaza, he gave a tired sigh, "It's been a long week guys. Let's go home."

* * *

That evening, the five Rangers gathered in Joe and Nick's room for a little impromptu celebration. A small stack of DVDs sat near the television in the corner as it played a marathon of movies while Danny, Nick, and Izzy started to pass around snacks, popcorn, and soda cans.

Meanwhile, Joe waited on his bed impatiently as Claire sat with him, dabbing the scrapes on his face with peroxide and cotton cloth.

"Well, aren't we a sorry pair?" Nick grinned to his roommate. "I've got a bum shoulder and you look like you lost a boxing match."

"Too bad the monster didn't hit you in the mouth instead," Joe retorted with a smirk, "Then I could have a little peace a quiet. Oww!"

"Sorry," Claire apologized pressing the peroxide cloth to his cheek. "I'm almost done."

After a pause, Joe turned to the others, "Actually, I'm the one who should be saying sorry. I gave you all a scare when I went off on my own too. It was pretty stubborn and reckless of me. Can you guys forgive me?"

"No worries," Danny called, "You just needed to remember that we still believed in you. That's how we won that pretty spectacular victory today."

"That reminds me," Joe mused, "Izzy, I was told to tell you that you're very pretty."

The Pink Ranger blushed a little in surprise, "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Sorry," Joe corrected himself, "It seems we Power Rangers have a growing fanbase. I met a little girl in the city this morning and she thinks we're really cool... especially you."

"Well, what can I say?" the Pink Ranger laughed flipping back a strand of her hair, "It's not easy looking this great and saving the world at the same time."

Claire sighed and rolled her eyes turning back to her patient's cuts, "You know, the White Ranger is pretty cool too. Did she say anything about me? Or did you mention it maybe?"

"Err, no. I didn't... sorry Claire." Joe answered apologetically, "Oww! What the hell? You did that on purpose now!"

"Sorry, it slipped," Claire replied innocently before giving a mischievous grin and holding up the cloth.

Joe stared at her incredulously for a moment before breaking out into laughter. As the others joined in, he took a seat as Danny passed him the popcorn. Professor Bishop was right. Things wouldn't get any easier and the battles would only become more dangerous. But he also knew that as long as the five of them stayed like this... the way they were right now, there would be no doubt that the Vanguard Rangers would be able to find a way to secure a lasting peace.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **That ends Episode 7. With the Dino Charge hiatus ending soon, I'll do my best to update this story on a semi-regular basis, especially since we'll be moving into a more plot driven arc next. In the meantime, feel free to fav, follow, or leave any comments. Thanks for reading everyone!**


	15. Progeny

**Episode 8: Part 1**

"Where has our Winter Break gone?" Nick Adler sighed as he gave a forlorn look out the window. Outside the main windows of the Student Union's food court, a light snow continued to fall from the dreary gray January sky. The Christmas and New Year holidays had passed and the 5 Vanguard Rangers reluctantly returned to school to start their new semester.

"I hear you," Danny sighed as he stirred a bowl of macaroni and cheese, "I've just gotten through my morning courses and I've already got a ton of homework."

Sitting next to him at the table, Claire took a bite of her sandwich and shrugged, "Could be worse. There haven't been any monster attacks in several weeks."

"That's really nice of the demons," Izzy laughed lightly across the table from Claire, "Though I have a hard time imagining them celebrating any kind of joyful holidays either."

At that moment, Joe exited the lunch line and took a seat next to Danny with a big grin on his face, "All right! New ethnic food week at the Union and they're serving Filipino food!"

The others turned to look at him in amusement as he took an enthusiastic bite from an eggroll and gave a content sigh, "This _lumpia_ tastes just the way my mom makes it… oh and I got some _cassava cake_ for desert if anyone wants to try some."

"Wait a sec," Nick chimed in, "Hale is an English last name. You never told me you were part Filipino."

"Yeah. On my mom's side," Joe casually replied as he passed his dessert over to Izzy so she could try it.

Nick shook his head with a sigh, "I've been living with you for a semester and it's like I don't even know you. Everyone? Any other secrets I don't know about?"

Claire smirked and slanted her eyes further, "Nope. I'm still just a nerdy Chinese girl."

"Y mi familia es de Mexico tambien," / (and my family is from Mexico too) Izzy added with a playful wink.

"Well don't look at me," Danny chuckled as he continued to eat his macaroni, "I'm a total white guy too."

As the others began to laugh, Nick rolled his eyes lightly, "Well, if we're all going to talk about family heritage, then let's hope Professor Bishop's history lecture this afternoon will be a little more insightful."

* * *

Later on after lunch, the five Rangers gathered in the small familiar lecture hall Professor Bishop taught his classes in. Although the courses were scheduled by semester, the Rangers decided it was best that they continue taking one of Bishop's classes every semester to stay near their mentor. To their surprise, their teacher was already there with his notes in order.

"Hey Professor! Looks like it's just the five of us again this semester," Danny grinned as he sat down and kicked his feet up on the chair in front of him.

Bishop gave a guarded smile as the students sat down, "It looks that way, doesn't it? I hope you all had a good vacation, because I've got a lot to go over with you today."

"Oh, Professor? I'm sorry. I forgot my book today," Izzy called out apologetically but Bishop shook his head.

"No Izzy. It's not about that. I was referring more to speculative history today… about the Vanguard Rangers."

The five students exchanged puzzled looks as Bishop took a piece of chalk and began drawing what looked to be some Empyrian sigils on the board.

"Over the past few months, I've been working on the inscriptions that my colleague Father Santos had given us," he began, "there's still a lot left to decipher, but I thought you five should know what I've found because it relates to the Keyrunes you each possess. Danny, may I borrow yours a moment?"

Danny shot his friends a hesitant look before reaching into his pocket and producing the artifact. Bishop nodded and took the Keyrune. Giving a focused look, he held it up and called, "Vanguard, Ascend!"

The five students sat watching in silence as nothing happened. Bishop lowered the artifact and looked to the others, "Have any of you wondered why it is that you can call on the power of these Keyrunes, while someone like me, can't?"

"Maybe because we're not old?" Nick offered in a half joking voice before Claire gave him a sharp elbow in the side.

Bishop frowned a moment before shaking his head, "You're all aware that the Empyrians were a wise and powerful race. They were able to harness the power of the earth's elements and they created many artifacts like these Keyrunes to amplify that power. How then were the Empyrians able to use them while most of us modern humans can't?

"Maybe they took some kind of precautions?" Joe suggested, "Like the safety lock on a gun?"

Bishop gave a grim smile, "Perhaps the safest kind. Based on my research, it seems the Keyrunes were only intended for use by those of the ancient race itself."

The Rangers sat silent for a moment before Claire raised a tentative hand, "But Professor… that would mean that the five of us, are somehow descended from those Empyrian angels, right?"

Izzy shook her head in disbelief, "I'm with Claire. That can't be right. I don't see a pair of physical wings sprouting from any of our backs."

Bishop raised a calming hand, "Let me finish everyone. After the great conflict with the Cambion, there are several vague passages in the translations referring to some of the angels descending from the skies and becoming one with the earthbound humans. I can only guess that means their blood mingled with ours."

Danny crossed his arms pensively, "So going by that reasoning, I'm guessing that we must have stronger bloodlines if we can even use the Keyrunes. Still, what are the odds that the five of us would even meet here and that something like this would happen?"

"Better than you might think," Bishop answered pointing to the chalkboard, "These four sigils that I wrote roughly translate to Mountain, Cascade, Light, and Prophecy."

"I don't understand Professor, where are you going with this?" Joe asked with a confused frown.

Bishop began to pace patiently, "Within the Empyrian tablets that I've translated, they make mention of different locations in the world. These places were important to the Empyrians and blessed in various ways. I have reason to believe, this location with these four sigils refer to the city of Hyperion Falls."

"He's right!" Claire exclaimed, "Think figuratively everyone. There are Mountains nearby. Cascade may refer to waterfalls, a major natural feature of this region. Light could refer to the mythological Greek figure of Hyperion... so Hyperion Falls?"

Nick chewed his lip, "But what about this mark of Prophecy? What does that mean?"

"Whatever it means, I'm sure there's some clue around one of the mountains or waterfalls that will give us an answer," Professor Bishop answered. "That may explain why the Cambion demons have been drawn to this place."

"I'm not sure about this everyone," Danny said aloud, "It seems like a bit of a long shot, and we don't have much to work with as it is. How do we even know what we're looking for, and where it is?"

As the others paused a moment, Joe frowned and gave a thoughtful look, "There are 12 major waterfalls around the mountains of the city. Maybe our Keyrunes will trigger some kind of reaction when we find something."

"Are you really considering this?" the Pink Ranger asked with a concerned look.

"I'm just as skeptical as you are Iz," Joe argued back, "But if there really is something here, then we should at least try to find it. Maybe that something will be a new power. Or, if Professor Bishop is right about our heritage, then some kind of important clue about our past."

"Uh, everyone? You do realize that it's the dead of winter out there, right?" Claire pointed out causing everyone to fall silent again.

"Of course," Bishop said clearing his throat, "Claire has a good point, but it's important we still keep that in mind once springtime comes."

Everyone gave a tentative nod, not sure whether they should be more concerned with some ancient secret buried in their hometown, or the fact that they might all possess some kind of celestial ancestry. Before they could worry any more about it for the day, Professor Bishop opened his binder and spoke.

"Well, that's enough about that for today. Maybe we should get back to some real history, right? Pull out your pens and notebooks. I was thinking we could start the new semester talking about the fall of the Roman Empire..."

* * *

Meanwhile, within the dark stormy Abyss, the Cambion counselor Shemhazai made her way into the ornate but gloomy throne room of the Dark Spire. As she passed two elite demon guards wearing full plate armor, she approached the foot of the throne and gave a reverent bow, "I am here Lord Gideon. You summoned me?"

The fallen Empyrian angel reclined on his marble chair for a moment with a curious look. "I have. I wish to know the state of General Abaddon."

Shemhazai couldn't help but hold back a snigger, "He is still being punished for his insolence my lord. I understand he is suffering 1,200 lashes at the scourging pillar."

"Yes," Gideon sighed offhandedly, "For him to act without my consent was foolish, but his intentions and ambitions were admirable. Otherwise, he would be suffering much worse."

Shemhazai winced at the calm but sadistic threat before lifting her head slightly, "There was something else Lord Gideon?"

"There is," he nodded, "I want to know if the seal between our worlds is weak enough for us to summon an Aspect on the other side."

Shemhazai raised her head in surprise. The act of projecting a small essence of one's self into another plane was one that only the most powerful demons were able to do.

"Despite the recent setbacks, I believe progress has been made. I would guess that the seal has weakened further. You aren't considering…"

"Yes," Gideon said with a cruel smile, "I wish to meet these Vanguard Rangers in person and test the real strength of the human race."

The Cambion advisor shook her head, "But my Lord, you would be risking a small fraction of your power to do this."

Gideon rose from his throne and laughed in amusement, "A small price to pay Shemhazai. I have been wasting away in this tower for thousands of years and I finally have a reason to begin flexing my wings again. Do you question me?"

The advisor lowered her head in submission, "No, of course not."

Gideon fixed his eyes on her for a moment before continuing to walk down the throne room steps past her. "Then gather some of your sorcerers together and prepare the ritual. I do not wish to wait much longer."

Shemhazai bowed again and made her way quickly out of the throne. While a part of her wished to see the human Rangers cower before her master, she still couldn't help but have her own share of reservations too.

* * *

The next day, the three male Rangers sat together at the Mugshot drinking hot chocolate and doing their homework. They sat at the table working quietly for a while until Danny finally dropped his pencil down on the table. "I can't do it. I can't concentrate like this."

Joe and Nick stopped and exchanged a puzzled look before turning to him. "What are you talking about?" the Green Ranger asked taking a swig of his drink.

"I keep going back to what Professor Bishop was saying the other day," Danny said quietly making sure to stay out of earshot from other café patrons. "You know, about our supposed ancestors. Do you really think there's any truth in the theory?"

"Well, I guess it makes some sense," Nick admitted in a hushed voice, "Why else would the Keyrunes respond to us and why else would those monsters keep attacking this city?"

Danny grimaced, "Listen, I actually love being a Power Ranger. It's cool as hell. But if we're somehow connected to this millennia old feud, it almost seems more like a cruel cosmic joke."

"You're suggesting that because we may have a direct blood connection to this conflict then we're somehow more responsible now?" Joe asked with a questioning frown.

"Not quite," Danny answered, "What I mean is that it almost sounds like some higher power or fate is pulling our strings. To be honest, I hate the idea of predestination, or a fate that's already laid out for me."

At that, Nick narrowed his eyes and said heatedly, "You still had a choice Danny. You still took up the Keyrune and became a Power Ranger. No one is forcing you to still be one now."

"Of course I know that!" Danny fired back hotly as he met the Green Ranger's glare, "It's not like I'm going to bail out on you guys. I also want to know where I came from; especially if it is true we come from some angelic race. I just think we should all be careful of what that means is all."

Joe sat in quiet thought as his two friends argued. Finally, he set his mug down, "No one is doubting you Dan. It's a lot to take in and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't struggling a little with it myself. For now, all we can do is just stay focused on stopping any more Cambion attacks until we can learn more."

"But Joe, aren't you curious about what may be in the mountains too?" Nick protested. "You're being too cautious! We've got to take action! Maybe even act before the enemy."

"Now is not the time Nick," Joe answered firmly, "I'm just as curious and think we should be proactive. But I'm not going to send our team out half cocked and put everyone in needless danger either. Not until we know more."

The Green Ranger growled and opened his mouth to argue further when his phone buzzed. He looked down a moment, before turning to his friends. "Looks like the girls' shopping trip in the city just got cut short. They need our help."

Quickly rising from the table, the male Rangers put their three way argument on hold and rushed out the door to aid their fellow Rangers against the newest Cambion assault.


	16. Dire Radiance

**Episode 8: Part 2**

Brilliant fiery streaks of golden light rained down over the grand central plaza of Hyperion Falls as citizens scrambled and fled. From atop a tall obelisk monument, Gideon stood laughing as the small but powerful comets erupted on the ground causing fiery chaos and terror. Even if his body was still trapped within the stormy Abyss, this physical projection of his will allowed him a small taste of the freedom and sensation he had spent millennia yearning for.

The twisted Empyrian Archangel in bright bronze armor let the winter air ripple through his long pale golden hair while falling snowflakes pricked at his beautiful marble white skin. He gave a snort of contempt for the weak and cowardly humans who fled to hide in their buildings of glass and concrete, until he spotted five young people in winter coats charge into the plaza to confront him.

"That's enough! Hold it right there!" shouted one of them, a young man with short black hair who wore a red scarf. The fallen angel slowly turned his gaze toward the five and gave an amused smile.

"Uh, guys? I could be wrong, but that doesn't exactly look like a demon," Izzy said glancing over to her fellow Rangers.

"Who are you? And what do you think you're doing here?" Nick called out challenging the angelic looking invader.

Gideon smiled, "You are the only five humans bold enough to challenge me directly. I've been waiting to meet you... Vanguard Rangers."

The five of them drew their Keyrunes and stood ready, "Who are you? What do you want with us?" Joe demanded stepping forward to take the lead.

The angelic figure in bronze armor extended his arms and spread his six wings, slowly floating down to the ground of the plaza. "I am Lord Gideon, Commander of the Cambion legions and true heir to the Empyrian legacy."

The Rangers froze in complete shock. Here before them was the supreme leader of their demon enemies. Despite his beauty and awe inspiring presence, there was a sinister aura about him, one of great power and malice underneath the veneer of outward grace.

"How is that possible?" Claire called out with dread in her voice, "Has the seal of the Abyss already been broken?"

Gideon laughed, "No, child. This is an astral projection... a mere fraction of my being. You five have taken up the Keyrunes of my brethren, the five greatest Empyrian warriors who sealed me away and denied me my destiny. To think, the noble blood of my ancient brothers and sisters flow through you now... muddied and debased."

"I've had about enough of you dumping on the human race," Danny called out, "We're still here and we'll be glad to show you why."

"I'm counting on it," Gideon laughed with a mocking sneer, "I had been cast down once for my pride and arrogance. I want to see proof that your wretched kind is no different."

Raising his Keyrune, Joe called, "Everyone? Vanguard, Ascend!"

Gideon waved his arm unleashing a barrage of golden fireballs but the attacks were deflected by the Rangers' protective wards and sigils. As the blast subsided, the five morphed Vanguard Rangers stood ready with their Astral Armament while the Red Ranger pointed his saber forward, "All right everyone, we're going all out! Vanguard, take flight!"

The five Rangers broke formation and charged forward with their own shining pairs of wings, attacking from different directions at once. Claire moved first and fired a barrage of icy bolts from her bow, but the Archangel curled his six wings around him like a protective shell. As the arrows deflected away or shattered harmlessly, Nick followed up with a powerful hammer blow on the wing shield but found his strike completely stopped. In a flash, Gideon opened his wings and swept the surprised Green Ranger aside.

As he gave a superior snort, Gideon glanced to his left side where Danny darted toward him and thrust forward with his spear. With blinding speed, the Cambion commander grabbed the base of the spearhead and halted the Blue Ranger's attack completely. Danny gasped as all his momentum was completely lost and he went flying as Gideon tossed the spear away like it was some minor annoyance.

Tilting his head slightly, Gideon sensed another oncoming attack from behind and sidestepped a joint assault from the Red and Pink Rangers. Spinning on his heel and laughing, Gideon used his armored gauntlets and wings to deflect a furious flurry of sword blows from both Joe and Izzy, before locking both their blades together and sweeping them both away with a powerful backhand.

"Is that really the best you children have?" the Archangel laughed in scornful amusement while the Rangers regrouped.

"He's just toying with us," Danny growled, "What do you say we switch up tactics?"

The Red Ranger nodded and ignited his sword with a sheath of radiant flames, "Sounds like a plan Danny. Everyone, in unison this time. Rangers, follow my lead!"

The Rangers charged forward as Joe clashed with Gideon again and harassed the Archangel with several whirling sword swings augmented by celestial fire. Despite his confident stance, Gideon backpedaled slightly from the intense flames and spread his wings, opening his guard just enough for an attack.

As the Red Ranger somersaulted away, Claire and Izzy let loose a volley of Feather Stinger shots that struck home and staggered the enemy momentarily. Before Gideon could completely recover, Danny and Nick charged in together and made a passing attack on each side, landing glancing blows with their melee weapons. The Archangel grunted again, but shrugged off the strikes turning to the face the Blue and Green Rangers.

As he did, both Claire and Izzy leapt up and landed on their fellow Rangers' shoulders, clasping hands for balance. Gideon watched in surprise as all four Rangers drew their Keyrunes and aimed them at the center of their formation, firing a burst of elemental energy. From the center of the formation, the Red Ranger swooped through with his wings and caught the elemental storm with his sword, slashing the Cambion lord with the combined force of their powers.

When the tremendous blast cleared, the Rangers stood in shock as Gideon rose from one knee and smiled at the minor damage done to his armor. "Much better, but you are still nowhere near as powerful as the original warriors."

The Rangers panted from the exertion but scrambled again to regroup. Gideon slowly marched forward with a laugh, "You Vanguard Rangers really think you've harnessed the full strength of the elements? Let me show you what real power looks like."

The Cambion lord spread his six wings out and they suddenly glowed brilliantly, momentarily blinding the Rangers. Before the Vanguard Rangers could react, Gideon unleashed a rapid fire barrage of his fiery radiant comets that struck the Rangers and erupted in violent explosions that shook the entire city center.

Amid the smoke and shattered glass that rained down from nearby buildings, the Rangers lay on the ground, stunned and writhing in pain. Despite their powers protecting them from the majority of the blast, the searing power of the Archangel's attack continued to physically burn the Rangers and eat away at their suits' defenses.

Amid the smoke, Gideon's glowing eyes shone through and he advanced slowly continuing to laugh. "How disappointing. This is but a fraction of my power and you've already been laid low."

"Come on everyone. We have to get up," Joe groaned in pain as he desperately staggered to his knees and gritted his teeth through the pain of his still burning suit. The other Rangers struggled feebly on the ground and gave gasps of pain from the burning sensations while Gideon strode forward.

"It's futile Red Ranger. You and you pitiful little world will..."

Just then, Gideon stopped and froze. Looking to his arms, the Cambion lord saw them begin to dematerialize, "What? No! Not now! This can't be happening!"

The Archangel roared in fury. He grasped wildly at the air as his whole form began to fade away and magically evaporate. Looking back to the heroes, Gideon snarled, "This is not the end Rangers. When we meet again, it will be for the last time."

As the lord of the Cambion demons completely dissipated in the smoke and fire, the Red Ranger slumped down in exhaustion and demorphed along with his friends. All five Rangers lay on the ground gasping in relief while the cold winter air soothed the burning sensations they had just been feeling moments ago. The Rangers had lucked out and they knew it. Something had just happened to the spell giving Gideon his physical form. Had it not happened... well, none of them wanted to think about it at the moment. They could only wonder what they would do when the Archangel would make his return.

* * *

Gideon focused his eyes and found himself back within the Dark Spire surrounded by a ring of startled Cambion sorcerers. Whirling around, he grabbed one of his elite guards who was standing nearby and lifted him in the air by the neck.

"What happened?" he roared in disoriented rage.

"My lord Gideon! Calm yourself!" Shemhazai called nearby as the other demon sorcerers cowered away in fear "The astral projection spell was disrupted. The sorcerers could not maintain your connection."

Gideon growled and hurled the struggling guard across the room and the armored demon slammed into a nearby pillar with a sickening crunch. "How did this happen?"

Shemhazai bowed her head, "You were exerting a great amount of your own power in battle my lord. It's likely your own energies were working against our magic to keep you anchored here."

The fallen Cambion angel stepped out of the ritual circle and headed for his throne, "I was about to destroy those Vanguard Rangers for good. I want you and your servants to work on reestablishing a connection."

"Of course Lord Gideon, but that will take some time. We have to make several other preparations and..."

Gideon took his seat and gave an almost petulant look, "I don't care what it takes Shemhazai. Do it as soon as you can. I will not let the Rangers slip away again."

* * *

Later that evening, the Vanguard Rangers gathered in the Rookery building at the edge of their university campus. Despite the warm inviting fire Professor Bishop had started in the fireplace, the five students sat quietly looking haggard and shell shocked. Their bodies ached and still tingled from their encounter with the Cambion leader.

Bishop poked the fires and took a seat at his desk giving his students a concerned look, "I'm glad you were able to make it back here. I was very concerned when I heard about a major explosion downtown."

"We never expected to face Gideon himself," Joe said grimly from an armchair, "He was so powerful and we had no way to defend ourselves. We were completely outclassed."

"But why is he here? And why now?" Claire asked.

Danny shook his head, "No Claire. He wasn't actually there. Remember, he said the seal of the Abyss wasn't broken. He was just projecting a part of himself or something."

"Well part of himself or not, we still got our asses handed to us and Gideon didn't break a sweat," Nick interjected.

From over on the couch, Izzy chimed in, "Gideon did mention again he was the true heir to Empyrian legacy. What do you think that meant?"

Professor Bishop sat and folded his hands in thought, "He could be referring to something here in Hyperion Falls... from the sounds of it, something tangible. The question becomes, what do we do about it if he shows up again?"

Nick glanced at his feet before turning to the Red Ranger, "Remember what we were talking about earlier? About searching the mountains and waterfalls? I think now is the time we try that."

Danny chewed his lip, "I hate to admit it, but Nick has a point. If there is some kind of hidden treasure around here, it could be some new power that will give us an edge in the next fight."  
Joe gave a reluctant frown and turned to the girls to get their opinion.

"I don't like it, but it makes some sense," Claire sighed.

Izzy nodded grimly in accord, "I agree. At this point, we have to try something."

Glancing over at the neutral face of professor Bishop, Joe turned and faced the glowing fireplace, quietly pondering into the crackling flames. He had been against the idea of rushing into a wild scavenger hunt in the mountains, but after the close brush with disaster they had that afternoon, he couldn't deny that something had to be done, and soon.

Giving a deep sigh, he finally turned to look upon the faces of the other Rangers with a serious expression, "If we're going to go treasure hunting, we'll need to wake up and get an early start. Let's use the night to rest and recover. We're going to have our work cut out for us tomorrow morning."


	17. The Blind Seer

**Episode 9: Part 1**

Small white snowflakes continued to fall as the five Vanguard Rangers descended gently on the next snowy mountain trail. In many ways, the gray dreary skies above reflected their discouraged mood as the five friends dispelled their wings and powered down again. Even with their powers, the Rangers' flight time was still limited and they had a lot of ground to cover. To conserve their energy, the five conducted their general search on foot, only using their powers and wings to fly between each location.

They had left the campus early and had only managed to search 3 of the 12 major waterfalls by noontime. After recalling their powers, Joe pulled out a map and compass from his coat pocket.

"Instead of trying to search all the other waterfalls in order, we might as well try the largest and most impressive one next." As he checked his bearings, he idly paced around to survey the area, "If I'm reading the map right, it should be nearby and just up this short mountain trail."

Nearby, Nick and Claire walked up a large hill overlooking the trail to get a better view. Once there, the Green Ranger took hold of Claire's legs and hoisted her up gently until she stood on his shoulders, "Any luck short stuff? Do you see anything?"

Claire wiped some of the snow away from her glasses and looked out in the distance, "I think I can just see the edge of the waterfall from here. It looks to be about a mile or so away."

"Well, I think it's best we stop and take a short rest," the Red Ranger called from the bottom of the hill. Nick lowered Claire down and patted the large backpack on his back, "Sounds good. I've got a bunch of sack lunches here for everyone."

Meanwhile, Izzy sat down tiredly on a large rock nearby and dusted off some snow from the pink winter beret she wore to match her coat. While she did, she shivered as another gust of chilling mountain air swept down the trail.

"Hey, you ok Iz?" Danny asked walking over and sitting down next to her on the rock. "You look a little cold,"

Izzy pulled her coat closer to ward off the chill around her neck and gave a half hearted laugh, "You know, maybe this was not the most practical winter coat to take exploring. It's not like looking cute or stylish here will help us any more in finding what we're searching for."

"Well, you do look cute and stylish enough to warrant some help in staying warm," Danny shrugged with a small smile nudging her with his shoulder, "I thought maybe I should help you out."

Izzy turned to look at him with a dismissive sigh, "What? Were you going suggest something perverted or use another one of your lame pickup lines?"

The Blue Ranger sighed and quietly shook his head while removing his thick scarf from around his collar. To Izzy's surprise, he gently placed it around her cold neck and quickly tied it up to keep her warm and comfortable.

"Come on, Nick packed some food. Let's go eat lunch."

Izzy sat for a moment in quiet surprise as Danny rose and headed toward the others without saying anything else. His thick blue scarf was soft and she felt a little warmer already. Try as she might to deny it, it was a sweet gesture. With a small smile, she stood up and followed the others, wondering if she and her fellow Rangers would in fact make a discovery after lunchtime.

* * *

After eating a quick lunch, the Vanguard Rangers made their way up the steep mountainous hiking trail. It was slow going with the snow and ice, but the Rangers couldn't help but wonder if the trail was any easier during warmer summer months. As they trudged up the path, several coniferous plants and evergreen trees also lined the way looking more like silent natural sentries, guarding the area. After a short hike up the last ridge, the five friends heard the sound of water and came upon a very large pristine waterfall. Despite the icy appearance of the snow covered banks, the great waterfall was a beautiful sight.

"Well, here we are everyone, Clarion Heights," Claire announced as she checked the map, "This is the place that feeds all the smaller waterfalls in the region."

Joe nodded and continued forward, walking toward the far edge of the banks holding his Keyrune, "All right. We might as well start at the source. Everyone keep your eyes peeled, ok?"

Like at the other waterfalls earlier that morning, the five Rangers spread out to comb the frozen edges of the falls for any strange writing, monuments, or magical phenomenon. As they did, Izzy strolled by the shore and took a moment to look at her reflection in the water. As she gazed into the crystal clear waters, she saw her reflection ripple slightly before changing into that of a morphed Pink Vanguard Ranger.

"No way…" she muttered to herself as she continued to stare in wonder at the magical reflection. To Izzy's surprise, her morphed image tilted her head toward the base of the waterfall and called her own shimmering wings. The reflected Pink Ranger took off across the surface of the water and disappeared behind the falls.

Izzy jumped back with a start, but her fellow Rangers were already at her side to see what was wrong.

"Oh my God! Did you see that?" she asked them.

The other four followed her gaze and scanned the area ultimately shaking their heads.

"Sorry Iz, there's nothing here," Nick sighed patting her on the shoulder to calm her down.

"No! I saw it!" Izzy insisted, "My reflection, it was morphed and it took off toward the falls. It was right... here." She stopped and fell silent as she saw her normal reflection in the running water again."

Joe, Danny, and Claire exchanged skeptical looks before the Red Ranger stepped forward toward the water where Izzy had been standing. "Ok then, let's just see about that."

As he held up his own Keyrune, he gave a surprised gasp as the small red gem at the head of the artifact began to glow gently.

Izzy shot Nick an "I told you so look" before pulling out her own Keyrune. To everyone's surprise, the Rangers' artifacts began to resonate together with magical energy. It was a warm and gentle power that buzzed in their hands, making them certain that something here had reacted with their artifacts. As they continued to stand holding their glowing Keyrunes, Danny scanned the surface of the waters.

"Do you think it has something to do with the falls, or is it a special property of the waters?"

As if some higher power had answered his question, a rumbling sound was heard and several large rectangular stones slowly rose up from the water forming a narrow walking bridge into the waterfall. The Rangers continued to gape in wonder as Empyrian sigils that covered the bridge stones lit up and glowed with a gentle pulsing light.

"What? I just had to ask," The Blue Ranger shrugged as the others glanced at him a moment.

Taking a deep breath, Joe began walking forward on the glowing bridge and the others followed close behind. While they approached the base of the waterfall, the cold running waters lapped quickly at the edges of their walkway.

"How deep do you think the water is here?" Nick asked with unease as he hesitated at the sight of the powerful waters cascading down in front of them.

"Probably better we don't think about that right now," Claire gulped, trying to keep her fears in check too. "Danny? Think you can do something about that wall of water?"

The Blue Ranger glanced at the waterfall and raised his Keyrune, "Oh... right! Here goes nothing."

With a force of his will, a stretch of the falling water parted like an opening curtain and revealed a path leading deeper into a cave behind the torrent. The Vanguard Rangers exchanged another hesitant look with each other before advancing further into the dark cave. Once they made their way off the footbridge and past the roaring water above, the Red Ranger lit his own Keyrune and raised it up like a brilliant torch to light their path.

"I guess now it's my time to shine," Joe quipped leading the way as both Izzy and Claire stayed close clinging to his coat sleeves while Danny and Nick protected the group's rear.

To their surprise, the dark cave was wider and deeper than they thought. Off to their far left, they could hear the echoes of gently running water coming from a shallow stream leading back out into the falls. As they passed, they could see the waters of the stream seem to glow a brighter iridescent color when exposed to the light of the Keyrune.

"Weird," Joe remarked, "You think we should try to follow it to the source?"

"Well, it's not like we have many other points of reference in here," Nick shrugged urging them forward.

* * *

After a short walk through the dark passages, the Rangers finally came to a great open cavern with ancient architecture carved into the rocks. Up ahead, they could see that the stream of iridescent water flowed from a large pool of water near the center of the cavern. As the five Rangers approached, the cavern began to light up as torches lining the cave slowly began flickering to life and illuminating the place.

The Vanguard Rangers fearfully grabbed for their Keyrunes and huddled together when they caught sight of a tall lithe figure standing atop a stone platform in the middle of the pool. The figure wore ancient gray robes adorned in precious stones and runic designs, almost resembling that of a wizard. From his back extended 4 great angelic wings tucked back in a resting position. The face of the mysterious figure was the most puzzling. The stranger looked to be a much older man or some wizened sage with long white hair and a serious but contemplative expression on his lips. Wrapped around his eyes like some kind of blindfold was a rich cloth of snow white satin.

To the Rangers' shock and horror, the ancient figure lifted its head slowly and raised a thin arm out toward them, "Welcome, lost children of Eden. I have been expecting you."

Although the mysterious being was blindfolded, it looked directly at them with an almost preternatural intensity.

"Oh crap," Danny hissed quietly in fear, "The last time a person with angel wings said that, we all nearly got killed."

Joe eyed Danny for a moment before stepping forward tentatively, "Please tell me... who is it that we are addressing?"

The ancient angelic sage smiled slightly and extended his ancient wings, "I am Remiel, a son of Eden, and protector of the Fountain Aurum."

"Son of Eden? As in the biblical Garden of Eden?" Claire asked, "Are you an Empyrian?"

Remiel raised a calming hand to silence her, "Was. I had shed my physical form ages ago and remain as a guardian spirit to watch over the waters of this sacred place."

"I'm afraid we're a little confused then Remiel," Joe continued, "What is this place and how do you know us? There's a lot we don't seem to understand about our Keyrunes or our connections to your race of people."

Remiel nodded, "This is the Fountain Aurum, whose magic waters were blessed by my race in ages past. This water contains the visions of prophecy which those of Empyrian blood can see when they gaze upon it."

"That makes some sense," Izzy murmured to her friends, "I saw myself become the Pink Ranger and head toward the waterfalls."

"Of course you know a great city now stands at the foot of the waterfalls and mountains," Remiel continued, "I imagine Lord Gideon and the Cambion demons see the sacred waters of Hyperion Falls as an affront to their kind, but a valuable tool to gaze into the future as well."

"We can understand that," Nick called while holding out his Keyrune, "But what we don't understand is what this all has to do with us, or what happened a few thousand years ago."

Remiel gestured to the pond and the Rangers all peered into it as an image of a beautiful floating island began to form. "My people once lived on a small floating continent named Eden. It was a place of great peace and beauty, and it was protected by many great warriors, such as the ones who held those Keyrunes. Our purpose was to oversee and protect your human race in its infancy."

"But the Cambion had other plans," Claire gently interjected.

Remiel nodded, "One of the greatest figures of my people, Archangel Gideon grew resentful of his duty to serve and protect what was in his words, our inferior human cousins. He stirred up a rebellion and experimented with dark unnatural chaos magic. He and his twisted followers fought a bitter civil war and tore our continent apart in a great Cataclysm."

The Rangers fell silent, fixated by the angel's story, "Before Eden fell back to the earth, our warriors banished him to a dark pocket dimension and placed a great seal upon it. With no where left to go, the survivors of my race hid their knowledge away and became one with the humans, hoping that one day, our descendants would be wise enough and responsible enough to reclaim that lost knowledge. And so it is, you five are here."

"Wow... that explains a lot," Izzy gasped still trying to wrap her head around the fantastical story.

"It does... but one fact still remains," Joe chimed in as he turned to face Remiel, "That ancient seal is failing. Gideon and his followers are on the verge of breaking free and the five of us seem to be the only ones who can stop them... but we're not strong enough."

The angelic spirit fixed its sightless gaze upon the Red Ranger, "You five come seeking wisdom and power to defeat our Cambion foes. I have seen that in the waters already. What I have yet to determine is whether or not you are even worthy yet. Only then may you possibly succeed."

"Here we go with the prophecy and predestination stuff," Danny growled, "Whether or not we're worthy as individuals, doesn't matter. Our cause still is. If we don't do anything, then Gideon is going to set the whole world on fire."

Remiel smiled in what almost looked like amusement at Danny's outburst. "What you ask is for the blessings and power of my race's greatest heroes. You may have a trace of our blood flowing through your veins, but blood alone does not a champion make."

Joe frowned and called out to the blind seer forcefully, "My friend is right Remiel. Our home is in danger and we don't have time for riddles. We came here to ask for your help. If we have to, then we'll keep fighting the Cambion legions, with or without it."

The other Rangers held their breath before the a small smile crossed the blind angel's lips, "I'd almost forgotten how stubborn and impatient your human race can be. Very well child. I will help you five, but I must still test you. I am still a guardian of lost knowledge and I must know whether or not it will be used responsibly."

Looking to the others to get their consent first, the Red Ranger nodded, "Then we accept. We'll take your test as soon as possible."

Remiel lowered his arms and nodded, "Tomorrow then, at first light. Until that time, you are welcome to the shelter of this cave."

The Rangers watched as the blind angelic seer turned his attention back to gazing at the pool of prophetic waters and becoming motionless, almost like a statue.

"Man, that is too creepy," Izzy hissed as the five moved safely away and huddled at the far edge of the cavern.

"Maybe, but it's the only choice we've got right now," Nick whispered, "What help do you think Remiel will be able to give us against Gideon?"

"I'm more worried about what this test is all about," Claire muttered, "I'm kinda doubting that it's going to be a multiple choice exam."

Joe shook his head and used his Keyrune to create a small campfire on the ground nearby, "It's not going to do us any good worrying about either question. Right now, we need to hunker down and make camp tonight. Getting rest and staying warm is all we can do."

"Joe is right," Danny nodded in agreement as he sat down to warm his hands near the fire. "though I am curious about one other thing."

The Red Ranger crossed his arms expectantly as Danny turned toward Nick, "Since you packed lunch, I don't suppose you've also got any hotdogs or mashmallows in your bag, do you?"


	18. A Test of Faith

**Episode 9: Part 2**

Even as the Rangers' magical campfire dwindled down early the next morning, Joe gave a contented yawn and smiled to himself. When he and his friends had settled down for the night, he was expecting to wake up cold and cramped. Instead, he found himself comfortably warm. As the Red Ranger slowly opened his eyes, he was shocked at the position he found himself in. To his left, his roommate Nick had rolled over into his side nearby and snored gently. To his right, Joe found Claire fast asleep and curled up beside him while pinning his arm to the ground. No doubt he was going to have a stiff shoulder today.

Checking his watch and seeing it was almost 6 A.M., Joe elbowed the Green Ranger to wake him up. Nick's snores were cut short before he opened his eyes slowly and gave an amused grin toward his friend.

"Seriously man... what the hell?" Joe muttered trying to nudge his burly roommate off him.

"Oh come on now," the Green Ranger laughed quietly, "You're just mad because you didn't call Big Spoon, aren't you?"

Joe rolled his eyes and sighed, "You know, I'm starting to think we spend way too much time together. Now do you mind helping peel Claire off of me? I can barely feel my arm."

While the Red and Green Rangers were busy having a petty argument nearby, Izzy gave a small yawn and opened her eyes, having been awakened by the noise. To her own surprise, she found herself snuggled up next to Danny who remained fast asleep. Even more shocking, he had kept his hands to himself and it was her who must have unconsciously rolled over during the night to stay warm next to him. Seeing that her other friends were still distracted, she let go and rolled back over slowly making sure not to draw any attention, or wake the sleeping Blue Ranger.

* * *

A short while later after everyone was roused from sleep, the five Rangers gathered together near the great pool of magic water where the blind angel Remiel continued to gaze at the waters, keeping his silent vigil. As they approached, Nick was the first one to call out, "We're back Remiel, and we're ready to face your challenge."

The blind seer remained motionless, nor did he even acknowledge the Rangers' presence. The five friends glanced at one another in momentary confusion before Izzy called out, "Umm, Mr. Remiel. We're still here. We want to take your test."

The Pink Ranger gasped and recoiled as the angelic prophet slowly raised his head from looking at the pond. "Most interesting," he said quietly as if to himself.

Danny gave an annoyed frown and prepared to make a smart remark, but Joe put a restraining hand on his shoulder to let the seer speak. "Up to this point, I have seen many dark omens in these waters. But the future surrounding you five... is still a complete mystery to me. Whether you are aware or not, it almost seems as if you children seek to defy the possible paths of fate that have been laid out in the visions. They are constantly changing."

"Well, we humans can be pretty irrational creatures," Claire answered stepping forward, "But like my friends said, we've all decided to face your challenge... whatever it may be."

Remiel glanced at the White Ranger for a moment before giving a nod, "Very well. The five of you will undergo a trial that will test your wits and your perception of reality. Without those qualities to begin with, you can never hope to defeat the Cambion armies. Now, step forward into the water."

Raising his hand, the seer called out an incantation and the pool began glowing with bright light. The five Rangers stepped forward hesitantly into the water and found themselves momentarily blinded as they were engulfed by a bright shimmering light.

* * *

When the light faded, the Rangers found themselves in what looked to be the center of a large underground passageway branching out into four different paths. At the center of the room was a large stone slab with glowing runes carved into it.

As they approached, they could hear Remiel's disembodied voice, "The powers of your Keyrunes will be limited in this place. You must learn to trust your wits and your physical abilities as they are all you have without your powers."

As the voice faded, the Rangers looked around and eyed the four diverging passageways.

"All right, whichever path we take, we all stick together, ok?" Izzy said gathering her courage.

Joe nodded and turned to the stone in the center of the room with glowing writing, "Agreed. But first I think we should take a look at this. It might be some kind of clue, but I have no idea what it says."

As he continued to study the writing, the White Ranger stepped forward and curiously touched the glowing runes. To her surprise, her mouth began to move uncontrollably and the other Rangers turned to her, frozen in shock. As if in a trance, Claire began to speak,

 _"O pilgrim child, unchosen with life so short, this labyrinth freely may you tread. In your trial, learn of truth. In your passing speak of truth. You who crawl upon the earth, yet yearn for Eden's path, a tongue of stone's blue flames your way beckons. Its muted form, a path for you to tread."_

When the verse ended, Claire blinked in confusion, having regained her senses. "Woah. What was that all about?"

"Oh I don't know," Danny said to his friend, "You just went all possessed for a minute and totally creeped the rest of us out. I wish you'd be more careful."

"Hey, ease up on her preppy," Nick cut in, "She seemed to be able to read whatever was on that rock just now."

Joe nodded with a pensive expression on his face, "He's right. It almost sounded like some kind of instruction."

"Or warning," Izzy added with a concerned look toward the Red Ranger.

"Or warning," Joe corrected himself, "Now, let's take a look down some of these hallways and see if we can't find any more clues."

The five Rangers huddled together and cautiously walked down each passageway for about a hundred feet until they ran into solid stone walls at the end of each hall.

"Well, that's odd," Danny commented with a hint of concern as he tapped the stones. "Why would anyone completely seal up each one of these corridors?"

Nick stepped forward and raised his Keyrune toward the wall. To his surprise, the Keyrune glowed only faintly and the power he felt from it seemed only a fraction of what he was normally used to. Undeterred, the Green Ranger tried to summon his Feather Sabre gladius or Feather Stinger pistol, but found he could not. "Well, so much for smashing the walls down."

While he did that, Izzy stood watching the wall while pondering a solution when she caught a brief glimpse of a blue light on the other side of the wall. "Hey! Did you guys see that flickering blue light?"

The others glanced at her, then back to the solid wall. "Oh great. Izzy's losing it again," Nick sighed but Claire cut him off.

"Or maybe not. Remember what the inscription on the stone said? It said to speak of truth and following a blue flame."

"But all I see is a solid stone wall," Danny protested.

"But when Nick was using his Keyrune, I saw the light for a moment," Izzy explained.

Joe furrowed his brow thoughtfully before approaching the wall and activating his own Keyrune. As the corridor glowed in a warm red light, the Rangers watched as the stone wall seemed to fade somewhat and a blue light appeared in the far distance, further down that passageway.

"Remember that Remiel said we had to discern what was real and what wasn't," the Red Ranger said, "This could be some kind of fake wall. Maybe this wall is only solid if we think it's solid."

Claire crossed her arms and sighed, "Ok, Neo. So if we're in the Matrix or something, how do you expect we walk through this wall? Use our imagination and pretend it isn't there?"

The Red Ranger nodded with an adventurous grin, "Precisely."

Taking a deep breath, he turned and walked forward, seemingly disappearing right through the stone wall. A few seconds later, his hand emerged from the other side and beckoned the others.

"Awesome," Nick grinned as he followed Danny and Izzy through. As she watched her friends pass through, Claire gave a panicked huff as she kept feeling at the wall but found it to be solid.

"Hey! Wait up guys! Don't leave me!"

From the other end of the wall, she heard Izzy's voice call out, "Claire! Just hold still. Close your eyes, don't think, and take a deep breath ok? Just trust me."

Claire did so and immediately felt the Pink Ranger's hands grab her by the shoulders and pull her through to the other side. The White Ranger gave a startled cry which suddenly turned to embarrassment as she saw her other friends hide small smiles and laughs at her expense.

"Aww, don't sweat it Claire," Danny chuckled giving her an affectionate pat on the head, "I guess imagination isn't your strong suit, huh?"

Claire stuck her tongue out at him as the Rangers continued on down the dark passageway until they reached another stone with glowing inscriptions.

This time Izzy touched the inscriptions and began to recite the words in a trance.

 _"Ignorant mortal, you who trust not might, to what then will you place thy trust? You whose weapons scatter on the winds. What advantage remains to you over your foes?"_

As the Pink Ranger regained her senses, Joe crossed his arms with a sigh, "Ignorant mortals huh? You know, it almost sounds like the powers that be don't actually want us here."

Beyond the pillar, the corridor opened up into a wider hallway that resembled more of a lavish gallery. Lining the hall on both sides were rows of statues resembling ancient foot soldiers. Although silent, they stood in the gloom at rigid attention, guarding the path with an assortment of spears, short swords, and maces.

"Well, I can see where the weapons part comes in," Nick muttered taking a curious step into the hallway, "I wonder if that referred to them, or to us."

As the Rangers began to walk into the gloom, Izzy froze and suddenly grabbed the Green Ranger's sleeve pointing to the statues. Ever so slowly, they began to move, turning their heads and stepping off their pedestals.

"Probably best we don't stick around to find out," Joe gulped in fear as he pointed to the far end of the grand hallway. In the distance, the blue light they were following glowed brighter. "I vote we run for our lives."

"In a sec," Danny nodded as he held up his Keyrune and blasted a few nearby clay soldiers apart with a burst of watery magic. In a flash, he scooped up several weapons the statues had been carrying and handed them to his friends. "Ok, now we can go!"

While the hall came to life with a horde of animated clay soldiers, the five Rangers turned and fled down the hallway as fast as they could toward the light. After a short sprint, the five halted abruptly and looked in dismay as their path was blocked by a high wall of roaring blue fire. Those flames were the source of light that they had followed, except there was no way around it.

"Ok, what now?" Izzy called gripping a short sword with growing fear as she watched the small army of statues begin shambling down the corridor toward them.

Claire wracked her brain furiously thinking over the inscriptions and trying to find a clue. "Umm… the writing talked about a muted form being our passage. Maybe if we use our magic to subdue these fires?"

Danny nodded and drew his Keyrune while handing Joe the spear he was carrying. "I'll help. We've got the powers of Ice and Water."

"Whatever you're going to do, make it quick," Nick called hefting a mace. "We'll try to buy you as much time as we can!"

With that, Joe, Nick, and Izzy took up a defensive stance and opened fire on the attackers with elemental bolts from their Keyrunes. While they did, the Blue and White Rangers hosed the wall of flames with their counter magic. Despite their best efforts, the enchanted flames grew more intense and let out violent bursts of steam as it repulsed their efforts. Finally they let up as Danny pulled the White Ranger clear of a violent steam burst and coughed. "This isn't working!"

To their dismay, they saw that the clay soldiers had advanced and were being fought off by the other Rangers. Despite the bottleneck, the three were having difficulty fighting with hand to hand weapons in such a narrow and confined space.

One soldier's head shattered to pieces as Joe thrust his spear forward again, but as he did, the ancient spearhead broke off. While Izzy was too busy fending off another soldier, the Red Ranger was caught in the press of oncoming enemies and bowled over. To his relief, Nick lunged forward and smashed several clay soldiers backwards with a great swing of his mace.

"Thanks for the save," Joe gasped as the Pink and Green Rangers helped him back up to his feet and the three retreated further.

As the Rangers regrouped, the five looked about in frantic fear at their dire situation. On one side were a horde of killer statues, on the other a searing wall of intense fire.

"Do you think the fires are imaginary too?" Danny panted, trying to keep calm in the chaotic melee.

Joe quickly put the broken haft of the spear to the fire and drew it back. To the Red Ranger's horror, a good five inches of the wood was instantly burned away. "Uh… it's looking pretty real to me."

The five friends huddled together, moving closer to the flames as the clay soldiers drew dangerously close. They were trapped. There was no other way out.

As the other Rangers began to panic, Claire clenched her fists and took a deep breath, "We have to try the flames!"

"What? Are you insane?" Danny called in shock but he was quickly cut off as she pushed him through the fire. In the same heartbeat, she grabbed Izzy's arm and pulled the Pink Ranger with her into the inferno. Seeing their friends disappear in the fires, Joe and Nick exchanged a quick look and shook hands before diving headfirst into the fires together.

Instead of searing pain, they felt a cool ripple of air as they emerged on the other side and crashed into the other shocked Rangers. The five sighed in relief, letting out a chorus of nervous laughs and cheers when they realized they were safe and no longer pursued by the clay soldiers. While Nick bent over and took a few dry heaves, Joe and Izzy exchanged a relieved hug while Danny helped Claire to her feet.

"Ok, seriously! What the hell Claire? For all we know, you could have killed me back there!" Danny exclaimed.

The White Ranger gave him a light punch in the arm with a grin, "Sorry. Imagination isn't my strong suit. It was the only other thing I could think of at the moment."

The Blue Ranger rolled his eyes as the five friends came to the end of the hallway where a ring of white light gently streamed upwards from a shallow pool of water.

"Well, this looks like the finish line to me," Joe remarked offering his hands to the others. "Looks like there's no where else to go from here but up."

* * *

The five friends joined hands and stepped into the ring together. In a flash, the Rangers were engulfed in warm light and found themselves where they had begun the trial, at the edge of Remiel's pool. Unlike the last time though, the five were already morphed in their Ranger suits. Standing before them, the blind seer Remiel extended his hands and wore a pleased smile, "Well done Rangers. You are well on your way to becoming worthy successors to our heroes."

"Remiel, I don't understand," Izzy called out as the Rangers removed their helmets, "What kind of test was that?

The angelic sage gave a pensive look, "Force of arms will only get you so far against the Cambion demons. Without a sense of Wisdom and Perspective, blind force is useless and unfocused. When you first looked upon the walls of stone and fire, you thought you saw an insurmountable obstacle. Yet when you were able to see things as they really were, you could realize that all things are possible, whether that is crossing through a wall, or defeating a seemingly invincible enemy."

Turning back to the Rangers, Remiel summoned a glowing orb of white light, "You have passed my trial and with it, I bestow a boon of the Empyrian warriors."

In a flash, the orb broke apart and five motes of light each descended upon the Rangers. As the glimmering light faded, the five found themselves wearing an ornate silvery-white pauldron on their left shoulders. Extending down their arm was silver angelic plate armor that ended at the forearm in what looked to be a combined gauntlet and buckler shield.

The five heroes looked in wonder as their armor seemed to infuse their suits with more power and make them shimmer softly.

"This Whitesteel Armor will protect you in battle and raise the defensive properties of your suits." Remiel said, "With it, you may fare better against the stronger demons within the Cambion army."

"Bad ass," Nick grinned running his fingers over the enchanted steel armor.

"Thank you," Joe said to the blind sage, "I have a feeling this will come in really handy."

Remiel extended a hand, "I have seen more dark omens Rangers. I urge you to return to your city, but before you go, take this."

A small blue gem rose from the pool of water and glowed with gentle light as it hovered toward the Red Ranger. Joe took the stone and looked up at the seer as Remiel spoke again, "Within that stone lies a glimpse of a possible future, and a way toward uncovering our greater legacy. I wish you luck... my blessings upon you."

The Rangers watched as Remiel again tucked his wings back and lowered his head toward the waters. Moments later, he became still like an ancient statue standing at his post. Taking the seer's words to heart, the Rangers hurried out of the cave and made their way back into the open air outside the waterfall. As they did, the bridge stones sunk into the water and the waterfall closed its entrance to them.

Standing in the cold refreshing air, the Rangers breathed a great sigh of relief but their moment was cut short as Claire pointed out to the distant horizon, just past the ridge. "Look!"

The others turned and glanced out over the ridges to see several tall plumes of dark smoke coming from the bottom of the mountain. Hyperion Falls was under attack again! Despite their feelings of dread, the Rangers' spirits were bolstered by the newest addition to their arsenal.

Taking a few steps forward, the Red Ranger looked toward the horizon with a grim smile and placed his helmet back on his head. "Come on everyone. If Gideon wants a rematch with us, then we'll give him one."

Giving a nod, the other Rangers donned their helmets and quickly took to the skies, soaring back down the mountain to save their beloved city.


	19. Whitesteel

**Episode 10: Part 1**

Despite the bright light of the noon sun, a hazy smoke hung over the skies of Hyperion Falls as several giant Magogs wreaked havoc over the outer suburbs of the city. Fires erupted and cars sped away in a panicked scramble while the demon foot soldiers empowered by their own Cambion sigils continued stomping through the region. Before they could go any further, they heard a shrill angry scream of an animal from overhead.

The giant Magogs paused for a moment and looked up to the skies. As the smoke and haze dissipated slightly, they could see a large red griffin diving down toward them followed by 4 other celestial beasts. In a flash, the five metallic creatures fused together and created a familiar titanic warrior in their wake. Folding its metallic wings, the Vanguard Megazord landed amidst the giant invaders, crushing one of the Magogs under its feet in a cloud of fiery smoke and brimstone.

"Guess who's back?" Nick hollered enthusiastically from his console already rearing for a fight.

Nearby, Danny glanced around the area and did a quick headcount of the giant Magogs, "Wow. Looks like Gideon isn't pulling any punches this time."

"Stay focused everyone," the Red Ranger called gripping his own cockpit controls, "If he's down there, we have to get through these clowns first. Claire? Think you can clear a path for us?"

The White Ranger gave a thumbs up and reached for her console, "Way ahead of you."

Before the Magogs could react, the Vanguard Megazord raised its White Wolf arm. As the wolf's head opened its mouth, a powerful icy jet of cold snow and ice spewed out, striking several of the demons and freezing them solid.

Charging forward, the Megazord smashed several of the frozen enemies apart with its other fist continuing to ward off the other giants with the wolf's icy spray. Looking about the battlefield, Danny growled, "We still need to thin out their numbers and the giants are falling back."

Immediately, the Pink Ranger tapped her head, "Leave it to me. I've got an idea."

To the others' surprise, Izzy took the controls and had one of the Megazord's arms reach up to the winged crown around it's head. Detaching the Pink Kestral zord from its perch for a moment, the Vanguard Megazord hurled it at the distant giant Magogs. The Kestral curved its wings and whirled through the ranks of enemies like a giant boomerang. The giant foot soldiers cried out as the Kestral swiftly carved through the rest of them and returned to the Megazord's waiting hand.

"Way to go Iz! That was brilliant!" Nick cheered giving the Pink Ranger a high five. As the giant Magogs exploded in clouds of fiery ash, Joe kept watch until he spotted a familiar figure with 6 wings waiting atop one of the ruined towers of the district.

"All right everyone, the way is clear. Now we just have one last monster to deal with."

* * *

From his perch, Gideon watched patiently as the victorious Vanguard Megazord disassembled and returned to the skies. Although he wore a look of indifference on his face, he couldn't help but marvel again at the sight of his people's titanic war machines. Those children he had faced before had certainly come a long way and he almost felt a twinge of pride that those human Rangers could almost be considered worthy adversaries.

The leader of the Cambion legions continued to stand atop his perch and gaze down at the ruined streets as the five Vanguard Rangers emerged from the smoke and fires to face him again. This time, they approached with more grace and certainty born of confidence. Despite their near defeat in their last encounter, these humans who wielded his race's ancient powers almost resembled the great Empyrian heroes of old for a brief moment.

The Archangel extended his wings and floated down gently to the ground with a smile, "You've returned to face me Rangers. I'm impressed with your handling of the titans. Well done."

"We didn't come to exchange pleasantries with you," Nick called pounding his fist into his other hand. "We came to clip your wings... all six of them."

"He's right Gideon," Joe said loudly stepping forward and addressing the Cambion lord, "We're only giving you one chance. Leave this place and don't ever come back."

Gideon curled his lips into a smile and broke out into a loud laugh, "Such arrogance, Red Ranger. You've already witnessed my power and still you humans... you pretenders, think that you have any right to speak to me this way?"

The Archangel unfurled his wings and summoned a long glowing blade, "You may have gotten away from me once... but this time, we finish the fight."

In a flash, the Rangers called their own weapons and took ready stances as Gideon charged forward bringing his blade around in a blinding arc. The Rangers scattered and took to the air in different directions evading the Cambion lord's first onslaught.

"All right everyone, just like we planned!" Danny called landing nearby and raising his Keyrune alongside the Red Ranger.

As Gideon turned and swooped at the two Rangers, Joe and Danny called on their elements together and the battlefield immediately became shrouded in a thick cloud of blinding steam. The Cambion lord slashed blindly into the smoke and beat his wings to blow the steam away, but he suddenly found himself caught up in a whirling cyclone of pink wind around him. Gideon growled as he momentarily lost the lift from under his wings and was suddenly bombarded by an icy volley of arrows from above.

The Pink Ranger let up on the whirlwind as Claire swooped down from above strafing Gideon and momentarily pinned him to the ground with her fire. Shaking off the minor damage of the ice bolts, Gideon turned again in surprise as the Green Ranger landed nearby, driving his hammer into the ground. A thunderous shockwave of earth erupted from the strike and plowed into the Archangel, keeping him on the ground while blinding him with dirt.

While the Rangers regrouped, Gideon shook off the blow and smiled, "I'm impressed. You're almost fighting like Empyrian angels now... but not yet."

The Archangel stretched his six wings and they began to glow, charging up for his devastating attack.

Turning to the Red Ranger, Izzy asked, "Ok, is now a good time to use it?"

Joe nodded raising his left arm along with the others, "Now is the perfect time."

In a circular arm motion, all five Rangers summoned their brilliant armor and shields in unison, "Whitesteel! Armor on!"

As the Vanguard Rangers were instantly endowed with their armor, they took defensive stances while Gideon unleashed his hail of dazzling golden fireballs. Despite the intense heat and force of each projectile, the Rangers raised their shields and deflected the storm of attacks. Gideon stopped and stared, recognizing the armor and realizing its reflective properties were nullifying his attacks.

Amid the flaming ruins of the street, the Rangers remained on their feet, but just barely. Their new armor had protected them, but the intense force of Gideon's attacks had felt like they were standing against a fire-hose at full blast.

"All right. What now?" Nick panted as the Rangers caught their breath for a moment.

Seeing Gideon halt for a moment as if catching his own breath, the White Ranger had a sudden brainstorm."Everyone, remember how Gideon had weakened himself in the last battle when using that attack? What if we lure him in and beat him through attrition?"

Joe smiled grimly and nodded, "Great idea Claire. Everyone, get ready to turtle up and counterattack on my signal."

The Rangers nodded and gathered together as Gideon walked forward and charged up for another attack. As the Archangel continued to advance while firing another powerful wave of golden energy, the Rangers huddled up close and locked their shields together to form one unified defensive formation.

Gideon watched as he neared the Rangers, continuing to pound their shield with his relentless fire. He knew he was exerting a lot of energy again, much more than he had before, but the Rangers could not hold out forever. He had pinned them all to this one position and when he was upon them, he would finish them off at close range. When the Archangel drew close, he let up his projectile attack, seeing them struggle to hold their shields together.

As Gideon raised his sword to cut through their defenses, he heard one of them cry, "Now!"

To his surprise, four of the Rangers broke formation and spun around to brace themselves against the Red Ranger. There, kneeling was the Red Ranger with their hidden Radiant Arbalest aimed straight at the Cambion's head at point blank range.

"Pride goeth before the fall, asshole." Joe grinned pulling the trigger of the weapon.

Gideon roared in fury as the surging bolt of powerful white light disintegrated the head of his astral projection. As the Rangers recovered from the powerful recoil of their weapon, they stared in amazement while the rest of the Archangel's body collapsed to the ground and instantly burned away into nothing.

The Vanguard Rangers sat in stunned silence for a moment realizing they had just dealt a humiliating defeat to the leader of the Cambion legions himself. While they did not actually destroy him, they demonstrated Gideon was not as invincible as he originally thought he was.

The silence was broken as Nick turned to his roommate, "Dude... that was badass... like, straight out of an action movie."

The Red Ranger slowly turned to the others and let out a delirious laugh. The other Rangers couldn't help but laugh and cheer in relief at what they had done, exchanging hugs and handshakes.

While the five celebrated, relieved citizens of Hyperion Falls crawled out from the ruins of their hiding places, carefully approaching and giving grateful cheers. The Rangers knew that the battle was far from over, but for now, amid the grateful applause, handshakes, and cheers of the people they were protecting, the Rangers decided to simply enjoy the moment and give thanks that they were able to live and fight another day.

* * *

Back in the Dark Spire, Gideon roared and clutched his head as the ritual circle was broken. Again, the lesser demon sorcerers scrambled in fear and retreated to the safety of the shadows while Shemhazai rushed to the side of her distraught master.

"Lord Gideon! Are you all right? What happened? We couldn't hold the connection to the mortal world any longer."

Gideon took several deep breaths letting his long pale golden hair spill down over his face. Shemhazai watched in fear and wonder as her master remained holding his face as if he were in great pain before suddenly hearing him laugh softly. Eventually, he lowered his hand and his laughter grew even louder.

"My lord?" she prompted.

Gideon calmed himself and turned around heading back to his throne, "It would seem that these Vanguard Rangers are in fact worthy successors to the Empyrian Keyrunes after all."

Shemhazai frowned, "Are worthy successors? As in present tense? Then that must mean that they..."

"Bested me in combat?" Gideon finished, "Yes. It was a most amusing battle... the most fun I've had in millennia."

"My lord!" Shemhazai cried, "If your aspect was defeated, then you have burned away a small portion of your power!"

Gideon smiled as he sat back down on his throne, "A tiny fraction of my power, but there is more than enough to triumph should I ever face them in person. If anything, I will know not to underestimate them again... and neither should you."

Shemhazai bowed her head, "Yes... of course, Lord Gideon."

With a sigh, Gideon gave a malevolent grin, "Now then... fetch me General Abaddon. His punishment should almost be over, and I have some plans for the future that I'd like to discuss with him."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Hey readers, I just took a drink of of the magic prophecy waters and while I haven't gone blind, I still wanted to give you all a quick heads up of what to expect in the next few chapters.**

 **Episode 10 is going to be a little short to tie up the Whitesteel arc. Episode 11 is going to be more of a light hearted breather episode, so fair warning... a Romantic and "shippy" misadventure may be on the horizon.**

 **After that, Episode 12 will kick off a short arc formally introducing this series's 6th Ranger. I hope everyone is enjoying the series so far and special thanks goes to everyone who is reading, reviewing, following, or just lurking. I love you all for it. :)**


	20. A Pilgrim's Progress

**Episode 10: Part 2**

A few days later, the Vanguard Rangers gathered within Professor Bishop's office in the old Rookery Tower late one afternoon. Despite their harrowing experiences from earlier in the week, they were in surprisingly good spirits. To think, they had nearly lost their lives to a powerful monster, scoured the mountains and countryside for an ancient clue, and stumbled across a phenomenal discovery.

After telling their professor about the Blind Seer's trial, their Whitesteel armor, and the stunning victory over Gideon, Bishop could only sit back in his chair with wonderment.

He was their teacher and in some ways, a growing mentor figure. While he worried about them, he couldn't help but be awed at the same time of the fantastical events that were unfolding, as well as the courage and resilience shown by these young students. It made him very proud that he could help them in some way and even more determined to continue doing so.

"The important thing is that you're all safe again," Bishop finally said with a smile. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried."

"We're glad too Professor," Claire chirped sitting on the couch with a calm grin, "Not only did we gain a very important power, but I think we learned quite a bit about ourselves too."

Nick nodded, "In more ways than one. You know, after listening to Remiel talk about the origins of our powers and our bloodlines, it just seemed to put everything into perspective more. Like, this is pretty serious and there's a lot more to lose in these battles now."

For a moment, the Green Ranger turned to Danny who had been the most resistant and reluctant to accept this new discovery. The Blue Ranger gave a gentle nod of understanding before looking to their teacher, "Professor, Remiel mentioned a greater legacy and truth that's still out there. Do you really think we'll be able to find it in time?"

Bishop furrowed his brow in uncertainty before Joe snapped his fingers and reached into his coat pocket, "Oh, right! I almost forgot. Remiel gave us this stone from his pond. He said that we'd be able to look into the future with it."

He removed the blue gem stone and handed it to Bishop, who examined the artifact carefully.

After several moments, Izzy asked tentatively, "Uh, so how do you guys think it works?"

The Rangers remained silent, unable to think of a solution until Professor Bishop put the stone down on his desk and rose from his chair. His students watched as he fetched a bucket from a closet and began to fill it with water from the sink. Setting it down and having the others gather around he began, "You said that Remiel got this stone from his pond. That pond has magic fortune telling waters that flow down from Clarion Heights. If the Great Fall there feeds all the others in the region, then all our water should have some trace of those magic properties. Maybe this stone will react when exposed to those waters."

The five friends watched with curiosity as Bishop dropped the gemstone into the water and it began to glow gently. To their amazement, the water began to swirl slowly and project vague images in the light. After a few moments, all 6 observers jumped as several bright flashes burst from the bucket and the afterimage of thunderclouds and lightning bolts flashed in the water.

When the image faded, the waters gave way to one more vision. Floating in the rippling water was the skyline of an unfamiliar city with magnificent domes and tall spires. It was hard to determine where the place was, but the buildings merged the architecture of ancient cities with the towering magnificence of modern ones.

Moments later, the light of the gemstone faded and the images dissipated leaving an inert stone in sitting in the water. Reaching into the bucket, Danny retrieved the stone and looked at it curiously. "Well, that was... interesting. What do you think that was all about?"

Nick put a hand to his head tiredly, "Honestly, I have no idea anymore. It's been a long week and I'm tired of ancient mysteries."

"Don't worry," Bishop smiled gently as he took the stone, "You five have done enough already. It's probably best I take things from here seeing how ancient mysteries are my specialty. In the mean time, I think you should all go back to your dorm and get some rest. You still look exhausted."

"Thanks Professor," Joe smiled rising to his feet. "I think we will, but first I think we should all decide on what to eat for dinner. After all, I think we all deserve a night out to celebrate kicking the butt of an arch-demon."

"Oh! I vote for noodles and potstickers!" Claire called enthusiastically, "I know a great little Chinese place at the edge of campus town."

"No way chica," Izzy interjected raising her own hand, "We're doing fajitas and enchilladas tonight."

Before anyone else could speak, Nick shook his head dismissing both ideas, "Forget that you two. How about a good old burger and fries?"

The Red Ranger looked in dismay toward Danny who sighed and gave a noncommital shrug. From his chair, Professor Bishop couldn't help but give a genuine laugh, "Even with everyone's Empyrian blood, so much for common heritage after all."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the depths of Remiel's cave, the Blind Seer glanced up slowly from his pool of prophetic waters. From one of the tunnels carved into the ceiling that led up to te peak of the mountains, a glowing orb of light slowly descended from its icy hiding place.

As the torches lining the pool lit up, providing more light to te cavern, the orb landed at the edge of the pond and dissipated, leaving a mysterious person standing before the seer.

"You're finally awake," Remiel stated, observing the Keyrune shaped artifact in the figure's hand.

"How long as it been Master Remiel?" the figure asked, still sounding a bit weary and disoriented.

"A few thousand years I would guess," the guardian spirit shrugged, "I said I would awaken you when the time came for you to be of service again."

"And I made a promise I would fulfill that duty."

Remiel nodded, "Gideon and his Cambion armies are rising again. The world will need your help, but it is a very different place. There are others like you, and the first thing I need you to do is to seek them out. After that, whatever you choose to do, will be your decision."

The figure nodded and tucked the Keyrune in their cloak. Giving a bow, the figure silently turned and made its way out from the darkness of the cave into the bright light of a brand new world.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Like I said before, this is just a short little coda to close out the Whitesteel plot arc while teasing the introduction of a 6th Ranger. A full Episode 11 should be on its way within a couple days. Thanks again for reading and see you guys then!**


	21. My Claire Lady

**Episode 11: Part 1**

It had been a month since the Vanguard Rangers' climactic battle against Archangel Gideon on the streets of Hyperion Falls. Despite the extraordinary events surrounding the battle and the discovery of the Whitesteel Armor, the relative peace since the Rangers' victory had brought with it a brief return to normalcy.

On that particularly gray and chilly Saturday, Claire Li lay on her bed taking an afternoon nap when Izzy burst into the dorm room with a cheerful smile, "Hey neighbor! Are you decent?"

The startled White Ranger shot upright in her bed dropping the small book that was resting on her stomach while she was asleep. She fumbled at her night stand for a moment before retrieving her glasses to put over her bleary eyes. "Izzy! How many times have I told you not to barge in here without knocking! You scared the crap outta me."

The Pink Ranger ambled over and sat down on the bed with a shrug, "Sorry. I was just excited. I wanted to know if I could borrow some of your colored pencils and scissors."

Claire blinked in confusion before getting up and retrieving them from her desk. "What do you need all that for?"

Izzy tapped Claire on the head with the pencil case, "I was going to make some homemade Valentine's Day cards. It's coming up this week you know."

The White Ranger sighed, "Valentine's cards? Isn't that kinda something a 2nd grader would do?"

Izzy smiled and shook her head, "I'm studying to be an elementary school teacher, remember? Besides, Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday... all the love, and passion, and romance..."

"Yeah, overpriced candy, inflated expectations, and gaudy commercialized gifts... no thanks." Claire countered climbing back into her bed with a sigh.

Izzy glanced down and picked up the book that had fallen on the floor. Raising the book up, she gave a triumphant smirk, "Says the girl who was reading a Harlequin Romance novel."

Claire's eyes went wide and she swiped for the book but Izzy kept it away.

"Ooh, how romantic. I never knew you had a dirty mind Claire. I wonder if there's any good smut in here too." Izzy laughed trying to page through the book while fending off a frantic White Ranger. Amid the girls' playful scuffle, a small card dropped out from the pages. It was a small card in red and white that looked like a Valentine, except it was sealed. Printed on the front was the name of the Red Vanguard Ranger.

Claire's heart stopped as Izzy examined the card and looked up to her with a smile, "I knew it! I knew you had a soft spot deep down there! You've got a crush on Joe, don't you?"

The White Ranger sputtered and felt her face grow hot, "I... um.. please don't say anything! You can't tell anybody... especially not him!"

Izzy grinned, "I promise. But maybe I can help you out."

"No," Claire said quickly, "You can help me most by not saying anything and pretending we never had this conversation. Joe agreed to go to an art exhibition with me later this week and I was going to talk with him that night, ok?"

Izzy gave a solemn nod before breaking into a grin and giving Claire an affectionate little hug, "Aww, Claire Bear has a crush..."

The White Ranger sighed, wondering which would require more courage this week... confronting her crush or possibly disposing of any other witnesses starting with Izzy.

* * *

A few days later, Joe sat with Nick and Danny at the Mugshot café hanging out after classes ended for the day. "Sounds like you're in a tough spot bud. Time is running out," Nick commented as he opened the plastic wrap of a large brownie he had just bought.

"Tell me about it," the Red Ranger sighed, "You really think I should just ask Jen Kaufman out then?"

Danny gave a pensive look from across the table and stirred his coffee, "I don't know. You did tell us that every time you suggested doing something with her outside of schoolwork, she's always busy, or something comes up."

Nick shrugged, "Well, you never know until you try. What have you got to lose?"

Joe frowned slightly, "Oh I don't know… maybe my dignity?"

He was interrupted as Izzy entered the café and greeted them with a cheerful smile.

"Hey Iz, you look like you're in a good mood. What's up?" Nick asked as she reached in her purse for a large bag of chocolates.

"Oh, I just thought I'd spread some early Valentine's Day cheer to my favorite male Rangers," she smiled giving both Nick and Joe a large Hershey's kiss followed by a real kiss on the cheek.

"Hey! What about me?" Danny asked feigning outrage.

"Oh, I didn't forget about you," Izzy sighed taking his hand, "I was going to give you two kisses too. Now close your eyes."

To Danny's surprise, the Pink Ranger turned his hand over and placed two chocolates in them. "They'll go good with your coffee," she smiled patting him sweetly on the cheek and taking a seat at the table while he rolled his eyes.

"Hey Iz, I'm actually glad you're here," Joe said as she got settled, "I was planning on asking your friend Jen out. I was hoping maybe you could put in a good word for me or something?"

The Pink Ranger blinked in surprise and grimaced slightly, "Oh, umm… I don't know. I'd love to help you, but I'm not sure that would be a great idea."

The boys looked at her curiously as she continued carefully, "It's just that… well, you don't know Jen like I do, and it might not be a good match. She's my friend, but she can be kind of a flakey party girl too… and a lot of work to handle."

While those were in fact true statements, Izzy did feel a little bad meddling to try and cover for Claire.

Danny gave a perceptive nod, "Makes sense, it already sounds like she's been compartmentalizing work and fun." Turning to the Red Ranger, he said, "I hate to say this man, but you might have to face the facts. Jen might only be interested in you as a study partner."

Joe huffed indignantly, "Oh really? We'll just see about that."

He was interrupted again as the cafe door opened and Jen Kaufman entered. Spotting the Rangers at the table she gave a bright smile and a wave. "Hey everyone! I thought I'd find you here. Would you mind if I borrow Joe for a quick minute?"

The Red Ranger gave his friends a smug look and left the table to go talk to her. Once out of earshot, he sat her down at a table across the café and smiled, "Hey Jen, what's up?"

The brunette girl gave a slightly embarrassed look and said, "Well… I know you're probably going to be busy tonight, but I was wondering if you'd be able to help me study for our big Psych exam tomorrow. I always seem to do better when you're the one explaining things."

Joe paused a moment and gave a conflicted frown. He had already studied ahead of time because he had already made plans to go to an art exhibition with Claire… but this was also a great opportunity for him and he really wanted to prove his friends wrong. Claire was his friend and he was sure it wouldn't be a big deal cancelling. After all, she would understand if it meant that schoolwork was involved.

Finally, he looked to Jen and gave a smile, "Sure. I'd love to help you. I'll come by around 7 tonight?"

"Great. Sounds good, and thanks again!" she said enthusiastically.

Before she left, he caught her arm, "Oh, Jen... one other thing. Since I'm helping you out, there's something I'd like you to do for me. Can I just talk to you alone for a few minutes after the exam tomorrow? It's about something important. 5 minutes... that's all I need."

"Oh? Ok. That's fine," she nodded with a smile. "I'll see ya then."

* * *

Later that evening, Claire ate an earlier dinner and hurried out of the shower. She hummed a cheerful tune to herself and smiled as she pulled out a stylish black cocktail dress. She was looking forward to the event tonight. It was a chance to have cocktails, and look at art, all while dressing up and looking pretty.

Compared to Izzy, Claire generally preferred comfort over excessive preening. Although she was never frumpy by any means, it wasn't that often she felt she needed to really impress anyone either, tonight being one of those exceptions however.

That was until her cell phone rang. Answering it, she heard Joe's voice, "Hey Claire. I'm glad I caught you in time. About tonight, I'm afraid I'm going to have to cancel."

"Oh?" she replied suddenly feeling her spirits sinking.

"Yeah, I've got a really big exam tomorrow and I still need to do some more cramming tonight. I'm really really sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you."

"That's all right. I understand," Claire sighed, "Don't sweat it, ok? Ace the test and I'll catch up with you tomorrow."

Well, it was a legitimate excuse Claire thought to herself as she ended the call. She could get wound up during exam time and in her position, she might have done the same thing. Though she was still kinda disappointed, it wasn't the end of the world either.

There was still the comedy movie she was going to with Joe and Nick on Valentine's Day itself. The three had originally planned it as a fun alternative activity. Maybe she could still give him his card after the show. Tonight might have hit a snare, but things would eventually work out. She was sure of it.

* * *

Torchlights flickered in the Dark Spire of the Abyss as the demon counselor Shemhazai passed the locked throne room of Lord Gideon. She sighed as Gideon's elite guardsmen stood outside the locked doors and gave her no more than a disinterested glance as she passed by. Lord Gideon had been locked in his throne room for long stretches of time these past several weeks. Though he didn't seem troubled by his recent defeat at the hands of the young Vanguard Rangers, what troubled her more was the time spent with General Abaddon.

She had always been a loyal subject to Lord Gideon and had continued to perform her duties even when her fellow commander and rival General Abaddon had been undergoing disciplinary measures. Why Gideon was collaborating and showing recent interest in that simple minded and bloodthirsty brute was beyond her. Even on the battlefield, the demon general's higher thought processes rarely rose above direct attack, slaughter, and pillage. Shemhazai tried to convince herself there must be a good reason for Gideon's actions and to trust her master, but she still could not help but feel a bit put out.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a hissing voice from the darkness, "What troubles you mistress?"

The female Cambion turned her head to face the snakelike head of one of the lesser demons in her legion. "That is none of your concern Ophidius."

"Ah, but you're mistaken," Ophidius whispered, "You are my commander and I worry when you get distracted. When commanders get distracted, their troops have a greater chance of getting killed."

"It sounds like you're volunteering your services to me," the counselor said with a dismissive sniff. "Is that what you want? You wish to be useful?"

Ophidius gave a serpentine laugh, "If it may put your mind at ease."

Shemhazai paused and considered for a moment. As she did, a cruel smile flickered across her lips, "Very well Ophidius. You have an ability to spread animosity and mistrust among the humans with the whispers of your venomous tongue. I want you to go spread some discord and chaos in advance of our next attack. But I want you to be discreet. Is that understood?"

"Perfectly mistress." Ophidius answered with a bow before slithering away back into the dark shadows.

* * *

The next afternoon, the classrooms in the Psych building began to clear out as students finished their exams and turned them in to their professors. After the exam, Joe sat back down in his seat to gather his things but caught a smile and thumbs up from Jen across the room. The exam had gone well and the study session the night before had been surprisingly fun as well. He hoped he could work off that and turn it into a real date in a few days time. Jen had mentioned there was going to be a local concert going on and a band she liked was playing there. With any luck, he might still be able to pick up some tickets after the exam today.

Before he could head out the door and catch up with Jen, he was surprised when Claire entered the room and headed over to his desk. "Claire? I wasn't expecting to see you till later. What are you doing here?"

Claire gave a sheepish smile, "Oh I don't know. I couldn't wait. I figured I'd come over and see how you did since we missed last night."

"Thanks. That's really sweet of you. I studied with Jen last night and it went great." Joe smiled, "I'm really sorry again about yesterday though."

"Oh… no worries," the White Ranger said waving it off, "I'm sure the art show would have been kinda boring anyway. Besides, we're still on for the movie night on Friday right?"

Joe bit his lip, "Err, about that. I think I might have to scratch that one too. I might actually have a date that night after all."

"What?" Claire exclaimed in a near shriek startling a few of the other students leaving the room.

"I was thinking of asking Jen out to a concert that night" Joe winced as some of the departing students gave them passing glances, "If Danny or Izzy don't have plans, then I'm sure they can fill in for me."

"Joseph Hale, what the hell is wrong with you?" Claire fumed, "We had plans! Nick has the tickets already! I… don't you think he'll be upset if you bail on us?"

"Geez, it's just a movie Claire," the Red Ranger said recoiling in surprise from Claire's unexpected outburst, "I'm sure he'd understand… and besides, I'll pay him for the ticket if I have to."

"That's not the point you dummy!" the White Ranger sputtered in rage, "You just… and last night… but now… and I can't… arrrgh!"

Claire spun on her heel and hurried out of the room in blind anger leaving the startled and bewildered Red Ranger alone in the classroom still frozen in his seat.

* * *

A light snow sprinkled from the skies as Claire stormed out of the building and into the main quad of the college. Nearby, she could hear several other students passing by on the slushy walkway. As they passed by, they seemed to be in just as much of a foul mood as the groups of passing students appeared to be locked in their own quiet bickering matches. At the moment, she really didn't care. As the cold air stung her face, Claire kept striding forward until she reached a large oak tree at the edge of the lawn to catch her breath.

Giving the bark of the tree a soft punch with her glove, she suppressed a bitter sniffle, "It's so unfair! Why is he so hung up on her? What's so great about that dumb broad Jen Kaufman anyway? I wish she'd just go away!"

From up above in the tree, the serpentine demon Ophidian hung from a branch curiously listening to the anguish of the White Ranger below him. A cruel smile appeared on his lips as he flicked his forked tongue out.

'I think that can be arranged,' he thought to himself gleefully, seeing another way he could spread more human suffering to degrade the demon seal on the world.

Before he could slither down the tree and get a better listening spot, he froze as he spotted the Pink Ranger approach from across the way. Seeing that his position was becoming too dangerous, the demon retreated, deciding to continue spreading discord and pain elsewhere on campus.

"Claire? Hey, what are you doing out here?" Izzy asked in concern walking up to her friend. She had been heading back from class and stopped when she saw the White Ranger standing around by herself. "Are you crying? Is everything ok?"

Claire quickly wiped her eyes and shook her head. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the Pink Ranger and looked her in the eye, "Iz, I didn't think I was going to have to say this... but I'm going to need your help after all."


	22. In Love and War

**Episode 11: Part 2**

The next afternoon, Joe grumbled as he closed his eyes and lay back on a couch in the Student Union lounge waiting for Jen to meet up with him. He had been a little ticked off that she never waited for him the other day, but he was more concerned with Claire's unexpected blow-up after his exam. Even if he didn't fully understand what she had been so angry about, he still felt bad that one of his friends and fellow Rangers was still so upset at him. Since yesterday, she had refused to even speak to him or return his calls.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the face of Professor Bishop curiously looking down at him. "Hey kiddo, everything ok? You're looking kinda glum there."

The Red Ranger sighed and checked his watch. Jen was already late, but he didn't really feel like answering questions from his professor right now either. "I'm not glum Professor. I... it's kinda personal."

Bishop chuckled and took a seat across from him on an armchair, "I see. Must be some girl problem then. After all, it's that season, right?"

Joe gave a mild scowl as Bishop waved it off with another gentle laugh.

"Touchy touchy. It seems like the bad mood has been going around campus today. Just on the way here, I must have seen at least three different couples having some loud lovers' spats. Weird huh?"

Joe shrugged, and sat up as he caught sight of one of his fellow classmates, Jens' roommate Stephanie Walsh. The tall blonde girl had been passing by the lounge looking for an open place to study. She gave a confused look as she approached the Red Ranger, "Hey Joe. You haven't seen Jen by any chance, have you?"

"Actually I was just about to ask you," he replied, "She was supposed to meet me here 15 minutes ago."

Stephanie wrinkled her nose, "That's strange. I just saw her after lunch a little while ago. She said she was going to stop at the library to drop a book off first."

Joe frowned, "Thanks Steph. I'll keep an eye out and let you know if I see her."

As she smiled and left the room with a friendly wave, the Red Ranger turned to his teacher, "You're right Professor. Things are getting a little weird around here. I'm going to go check something out, ok?"

Bishop shrugged and kicked his feet up in the chair opening a newspaper and muttering, "I remember being younger and in love. Boy, was I an idiot..."

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the dorm, Danny and Nick knocked on Izzy's door.

"Hey Iz, open up. It's us." Nick called, "We're here to return that movie we borrowed from you yesterday night."

"Come on in," she called, "I've kinda got my hands full."

The Blue and Green Rangers entered the room only to find Claire sitting in a chair with Izzy putting the finishing touches on her hair with a curling iron. To their surprise, Claire had replaced her long straight ponytail hairstyle for a trimmed and wavy shoulder length cut. Even more shocking, she was wearing a little bit of makeup along with a stylish skirt and a form fitting white blouse.

"Wow..." Nick said as he and Danny stood in surprise, "Claire, you look..."

"Even cuter than before," the Blue Ranger offered helpfully as Nick stopped and nodded in agreement.

"Pretty hot, huh?" Izzy smiled stepping back to admire her handiwork. "I think I did a good job."

Danny gave a wry grin and scratched his chin, "So Claire, what's all this about? Getting all dolled up for tomorrow?"

"Oh, shut up Danny," Claire scolded him, "I just wanted to try a something different. No crime against that, right?"

The boys exchanged a skeptical look before Nick cleared his throat, "Well, if you are planning to go out, then I'd be careful. Seems like lots of people around campus have been at each others' throats lately. Just today after class, I probably broke up two fistfights on the quad."

Just then, Danny's phone rang and he picked it up, "Hey Joey, what's up?"

Everyone stopped and watched him as the Blue Ranger's face slowly became more serious, "Wait, what? Are you sure? Magogs? Ok... got it. I'll tell the others. Be careful."

Putting down the phone, he said, "Seems like we may have a little demon problem after all. Joe just ran into a couple Magogs by the library. He said Jen Kaufman went missing and he's tracking her down right now. Sounds like things are getting worse out there and campus town could be in danger. We should go help and be ready in case any rioting breaks out."

Claire felt her stomach drop. Just yesterday she had prayed for bad fortune on Jen and it looked like she got her wish. As silly as it was, she couldn't help but feel a little responsible. "You guys go and watch over campus town. I'll go help Joe with the search... though I hate to do it right after this great makeover."

Izzy sighed sagely and put an arm around her shoulders, "Now you understand. Welcome to my world sister."

* * *

On the other side of campus, the Red Ranger hurried down the street carrying Jen Kaufman's purse under his arm. He had found it lying near the library with two Magog soldiers leaving the scene. Although, he felt ridiculous for carrying the purse, he suspected the Cambion demons must have been up to something. For starters, people around campus were becoming strangely hostile toward each other, most likely from some dark sorcery.

Now for some reason, the demons had taken Jen too. While little daydreams of saving her and winning her admiration flitted at the corner of his mind, he pushed them away to focus on following the Magog soldiers hoping they would lead to the source of the trouble itself.

He tailed the two minions until they reached the far edge of campus dedicated to the agriculture students. Eventually, the two stopped and took up posts at an empty barn house and stock pavilion used during the summer to house animals. Taking a deep breath, the Red Ranger gathered his courage and hurried toward the other side of the barn, hoping the Magogs had led him to his captured classmate.

Inside the cold dark barn, Jen Kaufman sat with her arms and legs bound along with a gag over her mouth. She didn't know what was going on or why those monsters had taken her, yet all she could do was look about fearfully into the darkness waiting for something to happen. To her shock, she turned to see a figure slip into a side entrance to the barn and quickly approach her from the shadows.

"Jen! Are you in there? Is that you?" she heard a voice hiss quietly.

Jen's eyes went wide and she murmured quietly in relief as she saw Joe crawl over toward her from the darkness.

"Are you ok? Just hold tight. I'll get you out of here." the Red Ranger whispered pulling out a pocket knife and cutting her bonds before removing her gag.

"Joe! How did you find this place? What are you doing here?" Jen hissed back in surprise.

"Not now," the Red Ranger said helping her to her feet quickly, "Let's get out of here."

As they turned to leave, they froze in terror as they heard a voice hiss from the darkness, "Well, well... what have we here?"

The two students turned and watched as they saw two shining eyes light up and reveal the form of a huge demonic serpent lurking in the shadows.

At the sight of such a monster, Jen stifled a scream and fainted in terror. The Red Ranger barely caught hold of the fainting girl and turned to face the giant serpent. From the other end of the barn, he saw a group of Magogs come around and bar the only other exit.

Pulling out his Keyrune, Joe rose to his feet, "All right, I don't have time for you. Vanguard..."

Before he could finish his morphing call, the demon Ophidius whipped its tail, swatting the Keyrune from his hand and knocking the young man out the barn door. As Joe tumbled hard along the frozen ground, he looked in horror as a group of Magogs gang piled him and restrained his arms. Not too far away, his Keyrune lay on the ground until the giant snake demon slithered from the barn and picked it up with its tail.

"You won't be needing this, but I'm sure Lady Shemhazai will reward me handsomely."

The stunned Red Ranger looked up in fear and continued to struggle in vain against the grip of the Magog soldiers. "Crap..."

Rearing up triumphantly over the struggling Ranger, Ophidius smiled, "Now then... what to do with you and your little girlfriend? She's of no value to me now, so perhaps I'll start by making her my next snack. Or maybe..."

The serpent was suddenly cut off as a blinding flash of lightning crashed down nearby followed by a thunderclap. Before anyone could even move, the lightning bolt ricocheted sideways and arced around, instantly incinerating the Magog soldiers and striking the demon.

From the ground, the Red Ranger blinked in surprise as he saw Ophidius reel backwards and thrash about from electrical shock. Even stranger, Joe saw his Keyrune had been retrieved and left inches from his hand. While it had all happened so fast, he could almost swear he saw the afterimage of some human shaped figure amid the light.

As Ophidius reared up again in fury, he roared as he was struck again by a volley of golden blaster shots from above. In a heartbeat, the morphed White Vanguard Ranger descended on the battlefield and dispelled her wings, standing guard over her comrade.

"Geez, you really do like trying to take on demons all by yourself," Claire said with an exaggerated sigh as she helped him to his feet, "You know, that hero complex will get you killed one day."

"Claire? What are you doing here?" Joe gasped in surprise.

Claire shrugged, "Danny said you were going solo after Jen. I was worried that you might need some backup... and I guess I was right."

Joe smiled and gave a grateful nod, "Thanks for the save Claire. I'm glad you came... and it looks like I owe you twice. How did you find me?"

Claire blinked in confusion, "Didn't you just see that bright lightning bolt just now? I thought that was your doing."

They were cut off as Ophidius recovered and hissed menacingly at the two Rangers. Claire stepped back a moment, "Do you think we should call the others?"

The Red Ranger quickly morphed and turned to his friend with a smile, "I think we can take him... if we do it together. Are you ready?"

"Let's go for it!" Claire smiled as they drew their short swords and joined hands while charging forward.

Ophidius lashed out with a biting attack, but the Red Ranger deflected the teeth with his sword and swung the White Ranger around by the arm. Using her momentum, Claire struck the snake back with a heavy blow and kept her grip on the Red Ranger's hand. Both friends moved in perfect unison, twirling and moving with each other as if they were doing an unusual swing dance while weilding swords. The whirling movements of Rangers threw Ophidius off balance as his every attack was parried and countered.

Having outmaneuvered the serpent, the White Ranger spun and vaulted off the Red Ranger's hands sending the giant snake flying backwards with a powerful jump kick. As she back-flipped off the kick, Joe caught her and took a sudden high leap, assisted by his own wings. When Ophidius recovered his senses, he looked upwards into the blinding light of the sun as the two Rangers dropped from the sky to land their finishing blows.

When the glare of the sun faded, the serpent's eyes went wide as the White Ranger fired her bow from above and transfixed Ophidius with a fully charged ice arrow. No sooner had the arrow pierced his scales, the demon roared again as the Red Ranger brought down his own flaming saber bisecting the serpent clean in half with a Radiant Smite. The two Rangers turned and slapped each other five as the thrashing halves of the giant snake fell to the ground and exploded into fire and ash.

As the fires, died down, the two Rangers powered down and exchanged another smile, "You really saved my neck today Claire," Joe grinned proudly putting his hands on her shoulders, "Thank you."

"Oh… well, I couldn't let you have all the fun," she sheepishly replied gently putting her hands over his.

"You know, I'm sorry for making you mad yesterday too. I'm still not exactly sure what I did, but I know that it really bothered me knowing that you were so upset. I never wanted that to happen."

The White Ranger flushed a moment before clearing her throat, "It's ok, I believe you. You're my friend and… I'd never let that get in the way of helping a fellow Ranger either."

Joe smiled again before gently reaching up to touch the edges of her hair with his fingers, "You changed you hairstyle, and have a new look… you look very pretty."

Just then, the Rangers' lingering smiles were broken as they heard the shuffling of feet nearby. To their surprise, they saw Jen Kaufman slowly exit from the barn, still wobbling on her feet from her fainting spell. With a sigh, Claire nodded over toward their classmate, "You should go take care of her. Make sure she gets back to her dorm safely."

The Red Ranger looked to his friend in surprise before nodding, "Thanks Claire."

With that, Claire turned and slowly began walking back toward her dormitory. After all, she was a Power Ranger and knew it was the right thing to do, but she still couldn't help but hate herself a little for it. Without looking back, she put her hands in her coat pockets and began to slowly trudge back home through the slushy snow, unaware of the cloaked figure quietly watching the aftermath of the battle from atop the roof of the barn nearby.

* * *

As early evening set in over campus town, the Red Ranger helped Jen arrive safely back at her dormitory. She was still a bit shaken and didn't want to talk any more about the incident, but she was relieved to be back home. As they stood outside the front doors, Jen put a hand on Joe's shoulder, "Thanks again for coming to find me and helping me back. It's a good thing the Power Rangers showed up when they did, huh?"

"Yeah," he replied shyly, "and you're welcome. When your roommate Steph told me you were missing, I got kinda worried. I uh… I really like you and didn't want anything bad to happen to you either."

Jen stopped and looked up at him in surprise, "What?"

The Red Ranger took a deep breath wondering why this was more frightening than facing down a Cambion demon, "I said I really like you Jen. I've been trying to tell you for a while now but I haven't been given a good opportunity to do that. I know this is a crazy time to say all this but, if you don't have plans tomorrow night, I'd just like to take you out and spend some time with you."

Jen blinked in surprise for a moment before giving an apologetic face, "Oh… I uh… don't know what to say. Listen Joe, you're a really awesome guy and all… but I just don't think of you in the same way. If it makes you feel better, I still see you as a really good friend though."

The Red Ranger stood motionless as Jen reached up and gave him a quick hug before heading back inside the dorm, "I'm sorry, but thanks again for saving me today."

Turning back toward the street, Joe exhaled in stunned silence while slowly shaking his head. He wasn't even sure whether to feel embarrassed, angry, or sad at the moment. Danny and Izzy had been right and Claire was justified for having gotten mad at him too. Feeling like a complete idiot, he slowly made his way back to his own dorm, praying that he wouldn't run into any of his friends along the way.

* * *

The next night, Nick stood in the lobby of the dorm with Danny, Claire, and Izzy as they got ready to go out to the movies. "Are you really sure you want to give me your movie ticket tonight?" Izzy asked Claire as she slipped on her pink coat.

The White Ranger shrugged, "Well, since you were too busy helping me instead of lining up a date, I figured you should still be able to go out tonight. Besides, I owed you for that makeover anyway."

"Well… now I'm glad Joe gave me his own ticket," Danny grinned putting an arm around Izzy's shoulders, "At least that means we can still go to a movie together, right Iz?"

The Pink Ranger sighed and headed for the door shrugging his arm off gently, "Only if Nick sits between us."

"If you spring for my popcorn, then we've got a deal!" Nick called as the two boys hurried out the door after her.

Claire smiled and shook her head to herself as she left the lobby and headed back upstairs. Making her way back to her floor, she stopped and poked her head into a nearby common room. There she found the Red Ranger by himself. He was sitting on the couch idly flipping channels on the television while wearing a glum face.

"Knock, knock. Can I come in?" she asked from the door.

Joe sighed and turned the tv off, gently tossing aside the remote. "Be my guest."

"Nick told us about what happened with Jen yesterday and said you were still pretty bummed. Are you ok?" she asked coming to sit down beside him on the couch.

The Red Ranger shrugged and looked at the ceiling dejectedly, "I don't know. I really burned myself on this one and I feel like a complete tool right now. But you know, I did come to a realization."

Claire turned to look at him curiously, "Oh?"

"It's probably for the best that this happened," Joe explained, "I mean, yes I had my head up my own ass while chasing Jen, but I shouldn't be concerned with romance or relationships right now. I'm a Ranger, a Red Ranger, and I've got a lot of responsibility… especially to you guys. Worrying about a girlfriend or even risking her safety would only be a bigger distraction. That's why it's probably best to swear all that off until Gideon is defeated for good."

Well, as long as there wasn't any competition, she could live with that for now, Claire thought to herself. She had her Valentine card in her back pocket, but decided against pulling it out after that little declaration. Giving a gentle smile she scooted closer beside the Red Ranger and put her arms around his torso in a cozy hug. "Well, in the meantime, I hope you feel better."

Joe turned in surprise but accepted the comforting gesture, "And here I thought you were coming to rub all that in my nose tonight."

Claire chuckled, "You know, for being such a smart guy, you can be a pretty big idiot sometimes… luckily for you, I think it's endearing."

"Umm, thanks… I think."

After a long moment, Claire asked softly, "Do you remember how you said you'd make things up to me for canceling on the art show?"

The Red Ranger nodded, "What would you like me to do?"

Claire simply closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him with a content smile, "Can we just… stay like this for a while? It's… nice."

She was right. Cuddling felt nice and it was comforting to be near someone again. Most importantly, he was glad that he and the White Ranger had been able to patch things up from their little fight earlier in the week and mend their friendship. As the two friends continued to sit together innocently enjoying the feeling of warmth and closeness, Joe smiled gently and leaned back, putting his arm around her in reply, "Yeah... I think so too."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Hey everyone, quick announcement! I'll be taking a short series break to work on a new short story and do some revisions on the upcoming 6th Ranger arc too. I know some people are very curious about the new Ranger, but I want to recharge my own batteries first and make sure the story is the best it can be. I promise PR Vanguard will be back in just a couple weeks so thanks for understanding and just sit tight! Hope to see you all then!**


	23. Shock and Awe

**Episode 12: Part 1  
**

A few weeks passed and the cold grey clouds of February began to give way to the warm clearing skies of March. As Nick Adler hefted another large bag of fertilizer and unloaded it from the nearby truck, he glanced around at the small plots of land set aside for the Agriculture students on their corner of campus. It had been warmer that past week and the big blonde farm boy could already spot the faint traces of green grass beginning to poke out from underneath the thawing snow. It was nice to see new life again.

He smiled warmly to himself as he eagerly wondered what types of plants his class would be cultivating later in the semester. Setting the bag of fertilizer down in the storage shed, he stepped out letting his Botany professor lock it up for the day.

"Thanks again for staying after and giving me a hand today Nick. It was a big help," the young red headed professor said as she finished securing the shed.

"Oh, don't mention it Dr. Feldman. I was happy to do it," Nick smiled as he took a breather from all the heavy lifting he had done throughout the afternoon, "To be honest, I can't wait for all this snow to melt so we can start plowing the soil already."

Dr. Feldman laughed, "Well, it's going to be a little more work this time around. The university bought some extra land for us to start extending the plots. I'm going to need all the help I can get."

"Hmm, I'm not too sure I'll have much luck recruiting my own friends to help," Nick admitted with a small chuckle of his own, "They're all pretty busy people."

"Well, I guess you could always ask Gabriel... I mean, Professor Bishop to come help out here from time to time. I've heard you've taken a real shine to him."

It did appear a little odd that a student in Nick's curriculum would be spending so much time with a History teacher. Nick decided to just downplay it, "Yeah, I guess. Mr. Bishop's a pretty cool guy, though you sound like you're pretty familiar with him too."

Dr. Feldman smiled wistfully and shrugged as they walked back toward the campus proper, "Well, we both went to grad school together and became friends. If you think he's kind of a maverick now, you should have seen him when we were still grad students here... he was the life of the party."

Nick listened in quiet interest as Dr. Feldman related a funny story from their past while he pondered a few things himself. Of course Professor Bishop was a handsome guy with a certain charisma and odd charm about him. But it was hard to see him as happy-go-lucky and carefree as his Botany professor was describing. While Bishop was regarded as an eccentric by his academic peers, he had still seemed to temper that with a more serious and focused side, especially after becoming the de facto mentor of the young Vanguard Rangers.

"To be very honest, I've begun to worry a little bit about Gabriel," Dr. Feldman sighed, "I've barely talked to him or seen him this past semester. It seems he's been so absorbed in some secret project that he doesn't want to discuss with any of our peers."

If only she knew he was devoting himself to helping a team of Power Rangers ward off an apocalyptic threat, Nick thought to himself quietly.

Clearing his throat, he said, "Oh... well... I'm sure he's just on the verge of some big breakthrough in his research. Next time I see him, I'll let him know to get some fresh air and stop by your lab for a visit."

Dr. Feldman gave an appreciative smile and removed her planting gloves to check the time, "I appreciate that Nick, though you should probably be heading back home. I'm still going to expect your homework to be done at the start of class tomorrow."

The Green Ranger did his best not to groan out loud as gave a wave goodbye to his teacher. Just then, Nick felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. As he pulled it out to check the urgent text message, he gave a quiet shrug toward the retreating form of Dr. Feldman, "Sorry professor, looks like homework's gonna have to wait."

* * *

Demon guards snapped to attention as General Abaddon entered the great hall of the Dark Spire and strode up to the ornate marble throne where Archangel Gideon sat. At the foot of the throne's dais, the demonic counselor Shemhazai waited, bent on one knee in reverent prostration, before rising to join the General in addressing their master.

Fixing his eyes on the battle scarred warrior in heavy armor, Gideon smiled, "General Abaddon, I was not expecting you for a while yet. I trust everything is in order?"

The General lowered his head slightly, "Yes, Lord Gideon. I was ahead of schedule and everything has been arranged just as you wished."

"Excellent," the fallen archangel replied with a pleased look.

From the foot of the dais, Shemhazai lifted her head slightly, "Lord Gideon, I have not been appraised of the current situation. May I ask what it is you are planning?"

Gideon laughed, "Forgive me Shemhazai. I did not mean to neglect you of late. Rather, time was of the essence and I needed one of Abaddon's commanders for a special assignment."

"My lord… I still don't understand."

At that moment, Abaddon spoke, "Lord Gideon told me that when he had battled the Rangers last, he sensed that a new great power had been awakened… that of a 6th Empyrian titan. He could begin to hear its call and believed it was buried somewhere in the region."

Turning to the counselor with a mocking smile, he growled in amusement, "Then again Shemhazai, you are the Cambion Legion's spymaster. Don't tell me that you were unaware of this development."

Shemhazai gritted her teeth in fury but Gideon raised his hand, "No matter. I have dispatched one of Abaddon's special demons to dig up the so called zord and seize it for me."

"My lord, even if we capture this new war machine, wouldn't a newly awakened titan suggest the rise of a sixth Vanguard Ranger?" Shemhazai asked.

The archangel waved it off, "An additional Ranger will not make much difference once the final invasion is ready to be launched. If we can still seize one of their own war machines, then all the better."

The counselor held her tongue and bowed silently. While his words were in fact true, she could only hope that his hubris would not ultimately lead to his undoing as it had several thousands of years ago.

* * *

Panicked shouts filled the afternoon air as a platoon of Magogs stormed through the mining camp at the hinterlands of Hyperion Falls. While terrified miners scattered about and fled for their trucks, a large minotaur demon followed slowly in the wake of the Cambion foot soldiers. As he walked, Minorous examined the abandoned mining equipment and snorted with disdain.

Without their great steel machines and noisy tools, the humans themselves were so frail and weak, unable to extract the riches they sought from this nearby mountainside. The lesser commander of Abaddon's legion continued on his way and drew a great two headed axe. As he strode forward and reached the actual dig site, he gathered the Magogs from their pillaging to point at the excavated earth.

"General Abaddon said the Empyrian titan is in the area somewhere," he growled, "It's our job to dig it up, so grab your tools and get to work!"

While the Magogs gathered their digging tools, Minorous struck the earth with several powerful blows of his battle axe causing large bursts of rocks and dirt to erupt from the ground. Without wasting any time, the gibbering demon soldiers began clearing the dirt from the now larger hole the miners had originally started.

But as they did, a great gust of wind blew and kicked up a cloud of dirt that momentarily blinded the demons. As the dust settled, the Cambion attackers turned in surprise to face five morphed Power Rangers with weapons at the ready.

"Digging your own graves huh?" Danny called leaning casually against his spear, "Thanks for saving us the trouble."

The minotaur growled in fury and raised his axe, "Magogs! Destroy them!"

"That's our cue," the Red Ranger replied leveling his saber sword at the oncoming minions, "Vanguard, Take Flight!"

In one unified motion, all five Rangers sprung forward and clashed with the Cambion troops, cleaving through them with ease. While the Blue Ranger cleared a path and quickly lanced through the Magogs, he reached for his Feather Stinger pistol and tossed it behind him in one motion. Following in his wake, Claire caught the pistol in her off hand and took to the skies with a leap, opening fire along with her own gun. The Magogs screeched in surprise as the dual wielding White Ranger rained down a withering volley of golden blaster fire from above.

Meanwhile on the other side of the battlefield, Joe and Izzy knifed their way through the Magog missile troops with their more agile sword fighting moves. Though a group of Cambion archers regrouped and fired off a volley of bolts, the shots were scattered by a powerful summoned gust of wind from the Pink Ranger. As the deflected shots went wide, the Red Ranger swiftly followed up and swept aside the archers with a flame-throwing wave of his sword.

At the center of the battlefield, the Green Ranger trampled over several Magogs in a football charge and locked weapons with the demon commander. Taking one powerful swing, Minorous knocked Nick's warhammer away before lowering his head and trying to gore the Ranger with his horns. In a flash, Nick grabbed the minotaur by the horns and skidded backwards before shifting his weight to turn the monster's charge aside. Minorous lurched sideways and stumbled as his horns were twisted aside, but he managed to pitch the Ranger over his head in a powerful counter-motion as well.

As Nick hit the ground and felt the wind get knocked out of him, he tried to rise but saw the demon recover faster. In a flash, Minorous took another swing with his axe, but to Nick's relief, the Red Ranger dashed in to raise his sword and ward off the blow.

"Whitesteel! Armor on!" Joe cried as the axe came down on the now armored Ranger. In a tremendous crash, the axe collided with the Red Ranger's sword and shield sending the surprised hero hurtling backwards into his ally from the overwhelming force of the strike.

Despite his best effort to catch his friend, the Green Ranger fell over backwards too and found himself momentarily tangled up with the Red Ranger.

"I thought you Rangers were supposed to be strong," The minotaur mocked as he advanced forward to bring his weapon down again.

He was suddenly cut off though as a blinding light crashed down on the battlefield and sent the demon flying sideways. Moments later, a deafening thunderclap reverberated in the air and rattled the remaining combatants. All five Rangers blinked their eyes and stood in speechless wonder as the light faded and a new Power Ranger in a golden colored suit stood before them.

The mysterious Ranger appeared to be female and had a similar design on her suit, only enhanced by a few assorted pieces of impressive armor. She wore shining pauldrons, bracers, and greaves with ornamented sigils carved into them. At her belt hung a Keyrune just like theirs. With a slow deliberate movement, the Gold Ranger turned her head toward Minorous as he rose to his feet and snorted in anger.

"You caught me off guard Ranger, but not even you can hope to challenge me by yourself."

The Gold Ranger watched with calm indifference as the charging minotaur bore down on her before reaching to her side where her gladius was sheathed. The five Vanguard Rangers watched in stunned silence as the new Ranger drew her blade with lightning speed and evaded the demon's strike. In the blink of an eye, the Gold Ranger inserted her Keyrune in the base of the gladius and summoned her weapon, an impressive scimitar that suddenly duplicated itself. Armed with a blade in each hand, the Gold Ranger ignited the swords with crackling electricity and counterattacked. In a show of great skill and dexterity, the Ranger unleashed a furious storm of slashing strikes on her startled Cambion foe.

Unable to keep up against the overwhelming speed of the Ranger, the large demon was thrown back and disarmed, struggling against the paralyzing surges of lingering electricity.

"Empty threats from a worthless bully," the Gold Ranger sneered to the wounded monster, "Prepare to be vanquished."

Locking the hilts of her two swords together, the Gold Ranger raised the double blade up and charged it with energy, transfiguring the weapon into a sort of radiant javelin made out of lightning. In a heartbeat, she hurled the lightning bolt at the monster but Minorous stamped his hoofs and dissipated into dark smoke, retreating as the bolt passed harmlessly through the cloud of ash. On the other side of the battlefield, Danny, Izzy, and Claire gasped as they watched the searing thunderbolt rocket through the retreating demon and strike the immediate earthworks nearby them.

The finishing bolt exploded in a brilliant flash with the force of a bomb. Clouds of rock and dirt flew everywhere while tendrils of powerful electricity surged outward trying to find a ground. Without hesitating, Danny called his Whitesteel armor and stepped in front of his two female friends to shield them from the blast while planting his spear in the earth to ground the thunder. The powerful bolts leapt into the spear, but even that was too much for the Blue Ranger to handle all at once. In a final burst of dissipating power, the thunder subsided but threw Danny to the ground causing him to demorph.

The other Rangers hurried over with horrified expressions to help their fallen friend as he gasped and weakly moaned on the ground. Despite the protection from his Ranger suit, Danny's skin was slightly burned and his jacket scorched with several black streaks. To everyone's surprise, Izzy was the first to his side. She rolled him over and gently cradled his head while stroking his face. "Danny? Are you ok? Say something... please!"

While the others gathered around the frantic Pink Ranger to make sure Danny was still breathing, the Gold Ranger turned toward them and slowly approached. As she did, she powered down revealing a young woman about their age. She wore antiquated robes and had a tall athletic build with shoulder length blonde hair and cold blue eyes. While she had a stunning aura of angelic beauty about her, her face and her features were sharp and hardened with a grim countenance.

Turning in surprise, the other Vanguard Rangers watched as the mysterious young woman knelt down beside the fallen Blue Ranger and held out her Keyrune.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Nick growled in outrage, but Joe put a restraining hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Saving your friend's life," the young woman answered sharply before turning back to Danny. A soft gentle glow began to emanate from her artifact as she entered a new sigil combination and focused on her patient. Several long moments passed as she waved the Keyrune's soothing light over Danny, seemingly healing him from all his injuries.

As the light faded, Danny's eyes fluttered open and he groaned tiredly while the Gold Ranger lowered her Keyrune.

Claire and Izzy slowly helped prop the revived Blue Ranger up as Joe turned to the newcomer with a serious expression, "Thank you for helping him... though I didn't know there was another Ranger."

The young woman examined him for a moment with a calculating look before fixing him with a firm gaze, "We've met before... at the barn house with the snake demon. I am Karaphriel, a fellow warrior of Eden and guardian of the Fountain Aurum. If you wear the color Red, then I assume you are the leader of these new Empyrian warriors?"

"The Vanguard Rangers now... and yes. My name is Joseph Hale."

Karaphriel glanced down thoughtfully to the recovering form of Danny before turning back to the Red Ranger, "Well then Sir Hale... it seems we have quite a bit to talk about, don't we?"

Joe noted the apprehensive looks from the other Rangers before glancing back to meet Karaphriel's cold hard eyes, "Yes. It seems that we do."


	24. Persona Non Grata

**Episode 12: Part 2  
**

The last traces of twilight sunk below the trees as the dark blues of evening set in outside of the Rookery Building's windows. Within Professor Bishop's office, the five Vanguard Rangers gathered along with their newest guest, a Gold Ranger calling herself Karaphriel. As the other Rangers sat and rested, she remained standing at rigid attention. Professor Bishop reclined behind his desk in quiet thought, appraising the newcomer after hearing their account of the battle earlier that day.

"It seems you intervened at just the right time," Bishop commented, "For what it's worth, thank you."

"I didn't do it for anyone's thanks," the young blonde haired woman said firmly, "I am only here to eradicate the Cambion demons that threaten this land. If I had to guess, that minotaur was looking for something... and was likely a servant of General Abaddon too."

Claire gave a questioning look to the new Ranger and said, "You seem to know an awful lot about the demons and our powers... maybe even more than us."

"I would hope so," Karaphriel retorted, "Otherwise, I wouldn't have been trained to fight them since I was young."

Bishop nodded, "Yes. You mentioned that you were a guardian of the Blind Seer Remiel. If you don't mind my asking, how is it that you're here?"

The Gold Ranger carefully scanned the silent room before speaking, "I had been kept frozen in stasis by the magic of Master Remiel until the next time I was needed."

At that, Nick gave an incredulous look, "Wait! You mean to tell me that you're probably a few thousand years old? That you're not even from this time period?"

Karaphriel regarded the Green Ranger with an imperious glance before turning back to Bishop, "I'm more amazed the big green ox over there actually comprehends language."

The professor held his hand up to restrain any further outburst from Nick, "Perhaps it's best you start from the beginning."

"Very well," the Gold Ranger began, "You can choose to believe me or not, but ages ago, I was born on the continent of Eden shortly before the great Cataclysm occurred. I had lived among the race of ancient people you now call the Empyrians."

"I don't understand," Izzy cut in as she sat next to an exhausted looking Danny on the couch, "If you came from Eden, wouldn't that make you an Empyrian too? What happened to your wings?"

Karaphriel's lips tightened slightly before answering, "I do not have Empyrian wings because I am not of that race… not entirely."

The other Rangers' eyes widened in surprise, but they remained silent as she continued, "You may be under the impression that the Empyrians were a wise and benevolent race... and they were for the most part. But for all their majesty, there was a great deal of pride and elitism within their culture… particularly regarding the purity of their blood. I would know. One of my parents was a human."

"And I'm guessing the Powers-That-Be didn't look too kindly on that?" Joe remarked quietly.

The Gold Ranger nodded, "While the rare offspring of such pairings wasn't forbidden, that didn't stop people like me from being treated like second class citizens either."

"That sounds awful," Izzy said gently, "What did you do?"

Karaphriel clenched her fists at the memory, "I did the only thing I could to try and find acceptance. I trained to be a warrior."

"And then the civil war broke out with Gideon and the Cambion Legions?" Professor Bishop prompted folding his hands together on his desk.

"Yes," the blonde young woman replied, "except I was not able to participate in any of the actual fighting. During the siege of Eden, I was given a Keyrune and posted here to defend the prophet Remiel and the Fountain Aurum. Only by watching its waters did I learn that the five greatest warriors among our ranks... the ones whose Keyrunes you now hold, had struck down Gideon.

"But you said you were put to sleep," Danny finally said in a weak voice, "Why would that happen if the Empyrians had won the battle?"

The Gold Ranger shook her head, "When the Cambion were defeated the first time, Eden began to fall from the sky and no one knew what would happen. We thought the entire world would be destroyed. In return for my service, Master Remiel offered to protect me with his magic and said he would awaken me should trouble ever arise... so that I could continue to fulfill the oaths I took. And now I have returned."

"I see," Bishop said, "then you know the Rangers had consulted the Blind Seer not long ago. You're still in his service?"

Karaphriel shook her head and turned to the assembled Rangers, "Master Remiel told me to seek the five of you out. He said that you were like me… except human. After that, I was free to decide what path to take."

"Well, I guess it would make the most sense if you were to join us... right?" Claire asked with a thoughtful look, "After all, we both have a common enemy and can help you adjust to this new time."

At that moment, Nick frowned and interrupted, "Hold on a second Claire, are you even sure we can trust her? How do we know she's willing to fight for the same cause and not just for herself? You saw how reckless she was in battle and how she almost deep fried Danny out there."

"Nick! That's enough," Izzy scolded sharply, "I'm sure Kara didn't mean it."

"Kara?" Joe asked raising an eyebrow.

The Pink Ranger simply shrugged, "What? It's easier to say."

From where she stood, Kara cleared her throat, "I'm afraid the ox is right. You can't trust me."

Everyone turned to her in surprise but the Gold Ranger remained impassive. Finally Professor Bishop broke the silence, "I don't understand… are you saying that you're not willing to at least work with us?"

"We may have a similar goal Professor, but until these new holders of the Keyrunes are able to demonstrate their prowess in combat, they're only going to get in the way."

"You've got to be kidding me! How can you say we can't fight?" Nick growled, "We've gotten this far, haven't we? Hell, we even one upped Gideon himself in a recent battle."

Kara fixed a sharp glare at him, "Do you really think Gideon will be any easier to defeat the next time around? He's merely testing you. I've observed you Rangers in battle, and frankly, I'm amazed you haven't all been killed yet."

"You'll have to forgive us," Joe said patiently restraining his own irritation, "The five of us weren't exactly born with weapons in our hands. We're doing the best we can right now."

"And I'm here to tell you that the best you can is not good enough," Kara retorted walking up to face the Red Ranger, "I can remember Auriel, the former holder of your Keyrune. He was perhaps the greatest warrior among all of Eden's guardians… a fearless and brilliant commander who could rally entire armies to fight under his banner. You'll forgive me, but all I see is a pale shadow of that glorious commander… a naïve little boy trying to play hero."

The Red Ranger tightened his features at the insult but continued to stare her down, "You know, for only being half Empyrian, you sound just as conceited as one of them."

The room fell silent for a moment before a small smirk crossed Kara's lips and she snorted in amusement, "Perhaps you're right, but that doesn't change anything. Until you prove yourself worthy of Auriel's Keyrune, I will not follow you in battle. You Rangers are still not ready to confront the true might of the Cambion legions. Until you are, I'd suggest you five stay out of my way."

Turning toward Professor Bishop, she gave a slight bow of the head as a courtesy, before calmly heading out of the room.

"Wow… what a bitch," Claire muttered, "I thought she'd be happy to have some new allies."

"I'm with Claire on this. She may be a great fighter, but where does she get off treating everyone like that?" Nick added with a nod beside the White Ranger.

"Kara is right about some things though," Danny sighed leaning back in his seat, "For one thing, we might not be ready after all."

"So we'll just have to ask her to help teach us," Izzy said with a determined look, "You saw how she was treated by the Empyrians. Maybe Kara just needs to see that we can be her friends first. That's why we need to try and reach out to her, don't you think?"

"Even if we did, I'm not sure she wants our help... or needs it," Nick argued, "You saw how dangerous she could be by herself. If she's not going to be a team player and cooperate in battle, then one of us could get hurt again… or worse."

"Well it's not exactly fair to judge her so quickly either," Izzy retorted, "Are you telling me you're just going to throw up your hands and give up without trying at all?"

After a pause, Danny spoke, "Izzy does have a point everyone. If the battles are only going to get tougher, then we're going to need all the allies and help we can get, right?"

The Pink Ranger turned to him in surprise and gave a grateful nod for the support.

Standing aside near the edge of Bishop's desk, Joe crossed his arms pensively, "Regardless, there's still a demon running around out there and we don't even know what it's up to either. For now, talking Kara into joining us might have to wait."

The Pink Ranger rose from her chair addressing her friends one more time, "Please, everyone! We can't just drag our feet about this. You saw how strong that last demon was. For all we know Kara might not be able to stop it on her own either. We need to battle that monster together… and by that, I mean all six of us. What do you say?"

Claire and Nick both frowned slightly in disagreement while Joe and Professor Bishop glanced away in silent reluctance.

"Fine then," the Pink Ranger huffed toward her friends as she turned and headed out the door, "I'll go try to talk to Kara myself."

"Wait Iz, I'll go with you…" Danny groaned trying to rise, but the Red Ranger gently restrained him and eased him back down on the couch.

"Slow down there buddy. You're in no shape to go running around just yet."

Claire moved from her spot and put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, "He's right Danny. You need to rest now. Besides, if anyone can win someone over with her charm and personality, it's Izzy."

Looking to Claire a moment, Danny gave a reluctant sigh and reclined back while Professor Bishop reached into his desk and pulled out the prophetic stone that the Blind Seer had given the Rangers. Turning it over thoughtfully in his hand, he said, "It seems the visions from this clue-stone were right after all. We saw an image of lighting and Kara's made herself a player in this struggle."

"But what about that ancient cityscape, Professor?" Nick asked running a tired hand through his hair, "Have you gotten any closer to figuring that part out yet?"

"I'm afraid not Nick," Bishop replied shaking his head with discouragement. "I'm still putting together a list of possible databases I can go through, and then I'll have to ask a favor from the architecture department to..."

"Err, Professor?" Nick gently interrupted trying to be as respectful as he could, "I know it's important to figure that out as quickly as possible and all, but maybe it's best if you take a little break sometimes... you know, so that you don't burn yourself out."

Bishop stopped and gave a confused look as the Green Ranger continued, "I was talking with your friend... my teacher Dr. Feldman. She said she was a little worried about you since you started obsessing over all our Keyrunes and stuff."

The young professor looked to him for a moment and furrowed his brow in deep thought before giving a sigh, "You may have a little point about that Nick, though you have to understand, this work is exciting to me. It proves everything I've been saying all along... and it's important toward helping you five win this fight against the demons."

At that, Joe chimed in, "We get it Professor, and we're very grateful. But I think what Nick is getting at is that you shouldn't completely lose sight of the other important things around you while pursuing your goal... like your health, or your own friends."

Professor Bishop couldn't help but chuckle, "Wisdom from the lips of my own students. I must be rubbing off you five."

"We just had a good teacher," Claire chimed in with a smile, "We just figured we should help him out from time to time too."

Rising from his chair, Professor Bishop nodded, "Right then. For now, let's leave Kara to Izzy. In the mean time, I think you four should go home to rest and eat some dinner. Right now, I should probably make a phone call to one of my old friends."


	25. Winds of Change

**Episode 13: Part 1  
**

Early the next morning, Kara stood at the edge of the balcony high atop the tall clock tower on the north end of the university's campus. From her vantage point, she could see clear across the college town and watch the early morning rays of the sun peeking out over the clouds, bathing the horizon in a gentle pink light. The Gold Ranger couldn't quite explain why, but the location felt familiar and strangely comforting.

Perhaps it was similar to her posting in the mountains, or maybe being high above the rest of the world reminded her of her old home of Eden in the sky. Admittedly, this was not home… in fact, Earth, or rather this city called Hyperion Falls had become a strange and scary new world.

At that moment, Kara felt a gentle breeze sweep by. She tilted her head slightly as she heard a familiar voice from behind, "You know… you're not an easy person to find."

Kara turned around slowly to face the Pink Vanguard Ranger who had now joined her on the clock tower balcony, "And it seems you're not an easy person to avoid Isabel Herrera."

"My friends call me Izzy."

Kara gave her a slow sidelong glance before turning back to the skies, "A strange nickname… and I wasn't aware we were friends either."

"We could be… if you'd let us," Izzy offered joining her at the balcony.

Kara frowned slightly in annoyance, "You do realize we are at war with the Cambion. Making nice with you and your other friends will only be a distraction… a waste of time."

Izzy shrugged, "Maybe, but it's a necessary one. If you said we five Rangers wouldn't be able to fight the demons on our own, then I doubt you can either."

Kara scrutinized the Pink Ranger carefully, "What are you saying?"

The Pink Ranger sighed, "I'm saying we can help each other. You can help train us to become better fighters and know our enemy. In return, we can help you adjust to a new life here, because whether or not you like it, you're stuck here. Besides, I doubt you want to live like a nomad forever."

Kara gave a dismissive sniff in reply.

"Listen, I know it must seem a little frightening, but you have to admit I'm right about that," Izzy continued.

The Gold Ranger remained silent for a moment considering her words. "I… don't know."

"You know, it's ok to admit that you're scared." Izzy said putting a hand on Kara's shoulder.

"I am not scared," the Gold Ranger replied sharply brushing Izzy's hand away. "I just don't understand why you people are doing this now."

Izzy turned to face Kara without fear, "Because you're one of us, and it's the right thing to do."

"I am not one of you," the Gold Ranger snapped back, "and you don't owe me any sympathy either."

The Pink Ranger frowned and turned back to look at the skies for a long moment of silence before speaking again, "Listen Kara, I can actually kinda understand where you're coming from. Growing up, I had always been one of those girls that everyone thought was pretty, and fun, and popular… you know one of those girls that everyone wanted to be around. For a while, I remember falling in with a group of other people like that who thought they were better than everyone else. Looking back, I'm kinda ashamed of some of the terrible things I said and did to hurt other people's feelings… especially when they never deserved it. So I sort of understand the way the Empyrians must have thought… and the way that they treated you... because I was kinda like them."

Izzy paused again and gave a sigh, "I know you've probably never had anyone give a damn about you, but my friends and I are not the Empyrians. We aren't carrying on their ways or dragging their baggage around either. We're just five regular people who are trying to keep the world from burning the best way we know how."

"You say that, yet a trace of their blood still flows through the five of you. You carry on their mission to defeat Gideon, and you tell me you aren't like them too?

Kara glanced over as Izzy faced her again, "We don't care if you're half Empyrian, or half whatever else. You're still a human and a Power Ranger. That's enough for us."

"You and your friends may wield the power of the Keyrunes, but you aren't ashamed of your human weaknesses?" Kara asked curiously.

Izzy shook her head, "Why should we be? It's something we all have to accept at some point... that we're not perfect. That's part of what being human is all about."

"You still don't understand Isabel, I can't be weak," Kara argued shaking her head, "If I am, I cannot hope to carry out my duty to destroy those demons who tore Eden apart. Those monsters destroyed my home. They took everything from me!"

The Pink Ranger grimaced, "If you're so serious about laying down your life in this war, then tell me Kara, who are you fighting for? You, or your duty to a long extinct race of people that pushed you aside?"

"I have to fight for them," Kara answered, "The world I once knew is gone and my duty to it is all that I have left. Without it, I have no purpose or direction in this world."

"Then find a new one," Izzy insisted, "My friends and I, and even Professor Bishop can help you find that way. There's no point in fighting to bring back Eden or to gain acceptance from an extinct race of people either. The world you knew is gone... but there's still a lot of good left here. Isn't helping to protect the legacy of your race a cause worth fighting for too?"

"You're asking me to forsake my Empyrian heritage... my duty to them?" the Gold Ranger asked carefully.

"No," Izzy answered, "I'm only asking you to embrace your human side because that is the world we live in now. You may have had a duty to protect your own race, but we human Rangers also have a duty to protect ours. That includes you too."

Kara fell silent again in thought as the two girls heard a knock from the clock tower door leading out to the balcony. As they turned in surprise, they spotted Nick tentatively open the door and approach, "Uh, is this a private party, or can anyone join?"

"Nick... I wasn't expecting you to come," Izzy said in surprise, "I mean, after our little argument yesterday and all..."

The Green Ranger sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, yeah... but when I heard you were going this morning to look for Kara, I was concerned and still wanted to make sure that you were ok. Besides, Danny asked me to come in his place anyway."

Izzy smiled softly, "Thank you Nick. Is he ok?"

"He's doing better now. Joe and Claire are looking after him," Nick nodded. Turning to Kara, he said, "Listen, Kara... I'm still not completely sure what to think of you yet, but I just wanted to say I think we all got off on the wrong foot. At the very least, I want you to know we're not your enemies. We're good people and you can trust us... if you want."

Kara maintained her neutral face but gave a thoughtful nod, "I'll consider it. I still don't think you Rangers are ready, but for what it's worth, I do regret accidentally hurting your friend."

Turning to Izzy, Kara said, "I'll admit that I was impressed by Daniel's courageous action on the battlefield. I apologize for injuring your beloved."

Nick stifled a laugh off to the side as Izzy sputtered in surprised outrage, "My what? I... Danny is not my boyfriend, or whatever you want to call it!"

"You made me laugh Kara. I guess you can't be all that bad," Nick grinned to the Gold Ranger while Izzy fought to suppress the growing blush on her face.

Kara remained stone faced but gave Nick a slightly more gentle nod, "and I suppose you aren't a completely simple minded ox after all."

"It's Nick," the Green Ranger grumbled softly, "I have a name, you know."

"Baby steps Nick," Izzy reminded him gently making Nick sigh in resignation.

After a long pause, Kara looked to Nick and said, "Before you came, Isabel and I were talking about our duty to fight the Cambion. Tell me, do you share this same feeling?"

The Green Ranger stopped and thought about it for a moment before nodding, "Well... yeah. I guess in a way, it's kinda become my purpose for being a Ranger. If I didn't, the demons would probably destroy the lives of many innocent people, and other living beings."

"But why?" Kara pressed, "No one is making the five of you fight. You don't have to keep risking your lives."

Nick shrugged, "Well, I guess it's just because I believe it's the right thing to do. The five us were given power that most other people don't have... so in a way, that makes us have to be more responsible."

"You two keep saying that," Kara shook her head, "that it's the right thing do, and that you have power... yet you both continue to believe that you're fighting from a position of strength. You five are only humans."

Nick narrowed his eyes on her, "You can think of us as weak Kara, but you have to realize something too. We humans are much stronger in a way that the Empyrian angels could never be. We have our own free will and draw strength from it."

Kara frowned and looked at him in confusion as he continued, "The Empyrians were powerful beings, but they were bound by their celestial laws. Those who broke those laws became Cambion monsters and enemies of your people right?"

Kara nodded.

"The Empyrians fought only because they were bound to do so," Izzy chimed in, "But we humans are free to choose our own reason to fight. We each have our own purpose to live for and if we believe strongly enough... and fight hard enough for it, then we can make it happen. We've already proven that time and again."

Kara narrowed her eyes into a thoughtful frown and remained silent before Izzy spoke again, "Remember Kara, you're part human too. You have that same freedom... and strength. We hope you'll find your new purpose and we hope it'll be with us."

At that moment, Nick put a gentle hand on Izzy's shoulder and gestured for the door, "Come on Iz. We should get going. Morning classes will be starting soon."

The Pink Ranger nodded and as she turned to go, the two stopped when they heard Kara say without turning around, "You two have given me a lot to think about."

Giving one last knowing smile, Izzy followed Nick back inside the clock tower, "We'll see you again soon Kara. I'm sure of it."

The Gold Ranger tilted her head slightly toward the departing Rangers and gave a small huff before turning back toward the bright horizon.

* * *

Later that day, the mountains around Hyperion Falls began to shake again as the Cambion forces under Minorous returned for more havoc. After recovering from his last battle with the Rangers, the minotaur had narrowed down the location of the missing zord to a large iron mine within the mountains. Taking a few more swings with his axe, Minorous snorted as his Magog soldiers waited patiently by the large yawning entrance of the mine. Either the human miners in there were too scared to come out or too stubborn to leave.

"We gave them their chance," the demon grunted as he began to make his way inside. "Remember, our job is to get the titan. I don't care about the humans, but if any stand in your way, kill them."

The Magogs gave a salute and fell in line behind their commander with their weapons and digging tools at the ready. As the demons delved into the darkness of the mountain tunnel, Minorous smiled to himself. He was now in his element and he knew they were close to their goal. His general had trusted him with an important assignment and he was not about to let Abaddon down.

After all, the consequences of failure would be much worse… worse enough that being destroyed in battle by the Vanguard Rangers would be preferable to the likely torment he'd receive returning to the Abyss in disgrace. But for now, Minorous pushed those thoughts aside and used his senses to navigate the dark labyrinthine mine tunnels. An Empyrian titan was at stake and he was going to be the one who'd recover it.


	26. Pegasus Rising

**Chapter 13: Part 2  
**

The smell of freshly ground coffee beans wafted through the air of the Mugshot café as Danny Winthrope sat a table with some of his other classmates. They had just gotten out of their Economics class for the day and were comparing notes on their recent pop quiz, but Danny wasn't listening. While they chattered, his mind still drifted back to the events of yesterday... the Rangers' battle with Minorous, the appearance of the new Ranger Kara, and his close brush with serious injury.

In truth, he felt much better after Kara had used a new power to heal him, but his friends still wanted to check up on him today. He knew Joe and Claire would be along shortly so the three could eat lunch together.

While he waited, he thought about the discussion with Professor Bishop and where that left them at the moment. He hoped that by sending Nick, Izzy was able to make some headway in talking to their newest ally that morning. Just then, his thoughts were interrupted as he heard his fellow classmates turn to watch a breaking news report coming from the television in the corner. From the looks of it, there had been some disaster at one of the iron mines just outside the city. There had been sudden earthquakes around the mountain that cut off a group of miners from escaping.

"Isn't that so weird?" one student at the table asked aloud, "How did that happen? Hyperion Falls isn't on a fault line."

Danny stayed silent and couldn't help but wonder for a moment if it was coincidence, or if it was that same minotaur demon they had confronted. As he continued to watch the report, he gasped as he saw a bright flash of light from the camera and heard the news reporter announce there had just been a freak lightning strike nearby.

The Blue Ranger's eyes widened as he continued to stare at the tv screen. That was no coincidence. Something was up and the Gold Ranger was most certainly involved now. Before any of his other classmates could speak, Danny looked up to see Joe and Claire quickly enter the café. They both wore serious faces gave a silent nod when they spotted him nearby.

"Sorry everyone," Danny said to his classmates while pretending to pull out his phone, "I've gotta take this call outside. I'll see ya."

Rising from the table quickly, he grabbed his blazer and hurried out the door after the Red and White Rangers.

* * *

Back at the entrance to the iron mines, a morphed Gold Ranger made her way through the squad of Magog minions left to guard the entrance. Without breaking a sweat, she took them down in unarmed combat with fast brutal efficiency. As she blocked the punch of the last Magog, Kara, twisted its arm around violently and used the momentum to send the foot soldier flying backward from a bone crunching snap kick.

The Gold Ranger watched impassively as the Magog collapsed limply to the dirt before feeling another gust of wind behind her. Turning around, she spotted the five Vanguard Rangers, morphed and ready to respond.

"You're late," Kara said bluntly as the Rangers approached, "It seems the demons have already made their way into the caves… I'd guess that minotaur is leading them again."

"Well let's make up for lost time then," the Red Ranger answered quickly igniting his Keyrune into a brilliant torch and leading the others into the cave. "Stay alert and keep together."

The six Rangers hurried deeper into the dark tunnels listening for sounds of the demons or trapped miners amid their echoing footfalls. While they did, they paused as they felt the ground shake again and a thundering sound echo through the cavern.

"Uh, guys? Let's step it up before that stupid demon brings the whole mountain down on our heads," Nick growled readying his warhammer.

After a short run, the six wound their way until they came across a fork in the tunnel. In the flickering light of Joe's Keyrune, Kara bent down and stopped to observe the ground. After a moment, she raised her head and pointed down the left passageway, "There. I can see that demon's heavy hoof prints tracking that way."

"Well, minotaurs never struck me as the sneaky subtle types anyway," Danny shrugged.

He was cut off as Claire waved her hand to silence everyone. "Shh! Quiet. Do you guys hear that?"

The Rangers paused and strained their ears, listening for any sounds coming from the darkness around them. After a few tense moments, they could make out muffled sounds of voices coming from the tunnels to the right. They sounded like moaning cries for help.

At that moment, Izzy pointed to the caverns at their right, "Those must be the trapped miners. Come on everyone! We've got to help them!"

Kara immediately shook her head and cut off the Pink Ranger, "Our priority is destroying that demon. It's after something and if we wait, it might find what it's looking for."

"No," Joe answered firmly breaking the argument up, "Izzy is right. Our priority is saving those miners. If they've been trapped in a cave in, they're not going to have much time or air left."

The Gold Ranger shook her head again and lit her own Keyrune as she started off toward the left tunnel. As she did, the Red Ranger called out after her, "Kara! What are you doing? We're supposed to stick together!"

"I never said I'd follow your lead Joseph," Kara snapped back quickly, "Go ahead then and be a fool. You and the Rangers have your duty to the humans, and I have mine."

The Red Ranger growled as Kara hurried off alone but Nick put a hand on his shoulder, "Come on Joe. Let's help those miners first. Then we'll go back Kara up. I have a feeling she's going to need it."

* * *

After another short sprint down the dark tunnels, the five Vanguard Rangers came upon exactly what they feared, a collapsed mine shaft with mountains of rubble blocking the path. As they approached, they could see a small hole that the miners had punched through to let in some air and cry for help.

"Damn. What now?" Claire muttered "We can't blast our way through without risking the miners."

Glancing at the makeup of the fallen debris, Danny snapped his fingers, "I have an idea. Nick, I need your help. You and I are going to take the lead on this one." The Green Ranger nodded as Joe called out to the miners, "Ok everyone. Just hold on. We're going to get you out of there, but we'll need you to stand back!"

Raising his Keyrune, Danny began to hose down the rocks and soil with a powerful jet of water. As he did, Nick stood beside him and manipulated the earth to allow the water to drain away safely to the sides. Working together, the two Rangers used their elemental magic in a controlled way to safely erode the soil and rocks while forming a large hole for the trapped people to escape.

"Nice work you two, and good thinking Danny" the Red Ranger nodded to the boys as Claire and Izzy helped pull the last of the grateful miners free, "Now, let's just hope we'll still be in time to stop that monster."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the other end of the mine, the demon Minorous raised his battleaxe and swung one more time at the pile of large rocks before him. As the earth cracked and the cloud of soil died away, the Cambion demons stopped and stared at the thing they had been searching for. Laying before them was the steely head of a large Empyrian titan. The great head of a horse zord poked out of the rubble and continued to bleat while a pair of half buried wings struggled to move.

"There it is... the Empyrian Pegasus," Minorous grinned in excitement waving his Magog escort forward, "What are you waiting for? Dig that titan up!"

Just as a group of the Cambion foot soldiers approached the trapped zord, several burst of lightning rang out and destroyed the demons instantly. Minorous whirled around furiously to face the Gold Ranger as she approached with her smoking Keyrune leveled.

"Step aside demon," Kara warned as she summoned her dual scimitars, "I won't let you touch that titan!"

The minotaur snorted angrily and gestured to his remaining Magogs, "Get her!"

Kara dashed forward, mowing down the foot soldiers with blinding speed and whirling strikes from her electrified swords. As she tumbled through the last of them and sprung at the demon, Minorous blocked the leaping attack and locked weapons with her, but not before waving his arms a few times. Pushing her back, the demon took a reaping swing with his axe but the Gold Ranger leapt backward, evading the blow.

Upon ducking the blow, Kara was surprised as she felt a temporary force barrier against her back restricting her movement. Turning to the side, she tried to maneuver around to make another attack on the demon, but ran into another wall of force.

"Now you see my special power," Minorous laughed, "you can't move so well within my force field labyrinth, can you?"

He was right, Kara realized. The underground monster was in his element now and without her usual room to maneuver, Kara was now at a disadvantage. The Gold Ranger gasped as her enemy charged forward and took another great swing. Using all her might, she parried the axe aside just in time, but was caught as Minorous swept his head around and knocked her aside with his horns. The Gold Ranger went flying into a rocky wall and fell over, finding herself suddenly half buried in the loose soil.

The stunned Ranger shook her head to regain her senses as the monster approached and raised his axe again, "Now it's time to get even you gold witch!" Nearby, the Pegasus zord redoubled its efforts to free itself as it whinnied loudly to help the Ranger.

Before the minotaur cold bring his axe down, he was swept aside as a volley of golden blaster shots rang out and pummeled the monster. To the Gold Ranger's shock, the five Vanguard Rangers rushed into the cavern with their weapons drawn, ready to assist. At the forefront of the group, she saw the Red Ranger level his sword and bark out quick decisive orders, "Claire, we need some covering fire. Izzy! Danny! You two get Kara. Nick, I'm gonna need my center lineman on this play. Let's block the pass rush!"

"Now that's some football language I can understand!" the Green Ranger grinned calling his hammer and giving a thumbs up.

The Rangers sprung into action as Claire fired a wintery blast of ice from her Keyrune to slow the monster. While Joe and Nick took up defensive positions to guard the way, Izzy and Danny hurried over and grabbed hold of Kara's arms. With one swift pull, they freed the Gold Ranger from the mound of soil and rubble.

"Are you ok Kara?' Izzy asked dusting their ally off.

Kara looked to the Pink and Blue Rangers in quiet surprise before nodding slowly, "Yes... thank you."

"That's it! I've had it with you Rangers!" the minotaur bellowed rising to his feet and preparing to charge.

But before the monster could take a step, a cloud of dirt and rocks erupted from the mound covering the Pegasus titan as it gave a loud cry. To the shock of all the combatants, the Pegasus zord beat its wings and freed itself from the earth. Thrashing forward, the zord rammed the monster by its snout and smashed through the ceiling of the cavern, clearing a way out of the mountain as well as carrying the minotaur with it.

While the other Vanguard Rangers stood gaping in shock, Kara called summoned own wings and took off through the hole created by the breakaway zord. "Come on! After that titan!" she called.

Once outside, the Pegasus zord touched down and threw aside the stunned Cambion demon that had been caught in its furious wake. As it whinnied and pawed anxiously at the ground, the battered Minorous pulled himself to his feet. "You stupid horse. I don't care what General Abaddon says anymore. I'm going mount your head on a wall."

In a furious roar, the monster hurled its battle axe with two hands at the titan, but a bright bolt of lightning deflected it and sent the weapon clattering away harmlessly. Moments later, the Gold Ranger was standing before the monster with her sword leveled. As she advanced, the other five Rangers descended from the skies and landed nearby to back her up.

"I told you once before demon. I will not let you lay a finger on that titan."

With a cruel laugh, Minorous waved his arms again and raised several faint walls of force energy around Kara, hoping that he could confuse her and slow her advance.

"Everyone! Be careful. The demon can create a maze of force fields!" the Gold Ranger called to her allies behind her.

"Then we'll just have to help find the way for Kara, right everyone?" Claire grinned gesturing forward.  
Joe nodded and rushed in finding the first wall of force and pointing the next path forward where he stood, "Good idea Claire! Everyone?"

To Kara's shock, the other Vanguard Rangers hurried after the Red Ranger and worked together to stand in place of the barriers and form a sort of path. As they formed a human chain and pointed the way through the maze, Kara gave a nod and rushed past them with blinding speed, bursting through the maze and slashing the surprised demon with a flying leap attack.

As Minorous reeled from the blow and dispelled his walls, both Nick and Izzy advanced quickly and each landed a powerful follow up blow with their own elementally charged weapons.

Sputtering in pain, the weakened and battered demon staggered to his feet as the cloud of whirling winds and rocks died down, only to face a furious Gold Ranger.

To the minotuar's horror, Kara had turned her sword into a crackling lightning bolt again and hurled it straight at him like a javelin. The demon never had a chance to react as the finishing attack struck him and exploded into a thunderous fireball of brimstone and surging electricity.

As the other Rangers gave a cheer, Nick and Izzy exchanged a high five before turning to Kara. The Gold Ranger stood watching the fires from the destroyed demon die down before giving a slight nod of satisfaction. "You came back for me," she said curiously eying the two Rangers for a moment.

"Don't you remember what we said earlier," the Green Ranger huffed, waving it off, "You're one of us... and besides... it was the right thing to do."

For a moment, Izzy almost thought she could sense Kara give a smile behind the visor of her helmet, "Thank you... Nick and Izzy."

Suddenly, the moment was interrupted as the Rangers heard the cry of the Pegasus zord as it reared up and beat its wings, taking off into the open mountain air. Seeing the zord retreat from the battlefield, Kara quickly turned and summoned her wings taking to the air and pursuing it. Before she did, she took one last look at the Rangers before hurrying off herself.

"Hey Kara! Wait! Where are you going?" Joe shouted, but the Gold Ranger continued to fly off after the Pegasus. He began moving to take flight after her, but the Pink Ranger stopped him and held his arm back gently.

As Danny and Claire joined them, the Blue Ranger scratched his head toward Izzy and Nick, "Uh, do you mind telling us what the heck is going on? What was that all about?"

As she continued to watch the departing Ranger and Pegasus on the horizon, Izzy crossed her arms with a content smile, "That is what I'm going to call, progress."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Hey everyone, I hope you're enjoying the 6th Ranger arc right now. We've got one more episode coming up soon to tie it all together and unify the Rangers. Lots of thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, following, or even just reading along.** **Now let's go unite our team and take it to the villains!**


	27. Double Jeopardy

**Chapter 14: Part 1**

A thin blanket of mist hung in the cool morning air as Kara stretched and ambled out of the small mountain cave where she had spent the night. Wrapped around her was her old cloak to keep her warm and she quietly walked outside toward a calm clear pond by the entrance. Nearby, she saw the large form of the Pegasus zord resting by the waters. Since she had chased it down to that place and calmed it the other day, the Pegasus seemed content to stay near her while enjoying its newfound freedom.

After washing her face in the pond water, Kara gave a small compassionate smile as she carefully approached the resting zord and reached out to touch it. The giant Pegasus gave a soft snort and remained calm while the Gold Ranger gently patted its nose, "Well good morning to you too. I'm glad you haven't run off again."

The zord whinnied again as Kara gave a thoughtful nod, almost as if sensing what it was saying, "I know. We've got to stick together. You and I are kindred spirits… relics from a bygone age. We can only protect each other, right?"

To her surprise, the Pegasus made an almost grumbling sound and shook its head slightly. Kara stopped and thought a moment before putting her hand on the zord again, "No… I suppose you're right. There are others."

Her thoughts drifted back to the events of the last few months of watching the Vanguard Rangers. She had gotten a sense of how they moved in combat, and how they worked as a team, but it wasn't until the past few days that she had begun to get a sense of them as actual people… who they were, how they related to one another, and the small quirks of their personalities.

The words of Izzy and Nick still stuck in her mind as she remembered how the Rangers had come back to help her the other day, not once but twice. They had reached out and protected her, even when she didn't want them to. They had worked together as a team to foil the minotaur's force fields and give her a chance to strike. For a moment, she had been part of that team.

Each Ranger had demonstrated their talent and potential, whether it was Nick's strength and loyalty, Danny's improvisational cunning, Claire's practical intellect, Izzy's gentle compassion, or Joe's steadying leadership. It felt good to be part of that team, even for just a little while.

"You think we should go back to them, huh?" the Gold Ranger asked absently as she mulled the thoughts over and glanced at the peaceful spring.

The Pegasus simply stretched its wings and pawed the ground while giving a nicker sound. Kara gave a sigh and patted the zord one more time, "Yes… I thought so."

* * *

Meanwhile in the Abyss, General Abaddon stomped about his chambers eyeing his large battle axe that he had propped up on nearby wall. "That miserable minotaur" he spat, "I gave him a simple order and he still couldn't follow it!"

At that moment, the furious demon general wanted something to take his aggression out on… whether it was slabs of rocks or maybe a few cowardly Magogs. His fury was halted for a moment as a knock on the door was heard and a lesser Cambion lieutenant in his legion entered.

"What is it?" Abaddon snarled.

The lieutenant bowed his head apologetically "Forgive me General, but I came across news you may want to hear…"

Abaddon fumed and grabbed his underling by the collar giving a violent shake, "Well? Out with it!"

The lieutenant swallowed nervously and said in a trembling voice, "We've received word that Lady Shemhazai has secretly sent one of her agents to track down the missing titan. She said she intends to capitalize off your mistake."

Abaddon tossed his underling aside, "I did not make a mistake… I just put myself in an even better position."

The trembling lieutenant cowered on the floor, "Sir?"

Abaddon laughed and walked up to his axe, hefting it lovingly while wearing a thoughtful face, "Shemhazai has acted on her own initiative. I will send another warrior to lie in wait until her minion tracks down the titan and likely fights the Rangers. When the time is right, my demon will step in. The Rangers will be destroyed, the titan will be captured, and Shemhazai's agent will be exposed, discrediting her."

"Sir… that's a surprisingly brilliant plan," the lieutenant said rising to his feet but Abaddon quickly leveled his axe, threatening his subordinate.

"I didn't ask for your assessment! What I want is for you to send another warrior to earth. Now!"

The terrified demon bowed again and scrambled out of the chambers to do his master's bidding followed only by the sound of the cruel General's echoing laughter.

* * *

A few days had passed since the battle at the iron mines and the five Vanguard Rangers met up in the Student Union's lounge after class to discuss the recent developments. At the head of the coffee table they gathered around, Professor Bishop sat in an armchair listening to their account of the battle and the discovery of the Pegasus zord.

After hearing their story, Bishop nodded his head and pointed to his latest work at translating the history of the Empyrian records.

"That does make some sense," he said thoughtfully, "According to these records, there were likely many other titans during the great war with the Cambion. While it sounds like most were destroyed, the records still suggest that it is possible one or two additional zords may have survived, or were hidden away after the conflict."

"Which explains why the demons were probably after that buried Pegasus zord," Claire concluded, "Either they want to keep us from gaining a new weapon, or use it for themselves."

"Well we're not going to let that happen," Nick agreed firmly making a fist.

After a short pause, Danny scratched his chin, "First we're going to have to find Kara and hope that she was able to run that beast down. You do know she took off after it when the battle was over."

"She'll come back," Izzy said with a confident nod, "I just know it."

At the other end of the table, the Red Ranger sighed, "I hope so too Iz, but the question becomes what do we do in the mean time? Do we go looking for Kara and that zord, or do we stand on guard in case the Cambion attack again? I'm sure they're not going to be very happy about letting a zord slip through their fingers either."

At that moment, Bishop's phone lit up and he checked the news update, "It looks like the decision has already been made for us. A demon is attacking one of the city's near suburbs."

"Gotta hand it to those guys who came up with that monster attack warning app," Claire muttered looking at her own smart-phone too while the other Rangers scrambled to respond. "They must be rolling in money… and it's handy for us Power Rangers too."

"Come on short-stuff. We can geek out over the tech later," Nick said quickly pulling her to her feet and following the others out the door.

As he watched his students run off to put down another attack, Bishop scooped up his papers and got back to work. If Kara and the Pegasus didn't show, he still had to be ready in case his Rangers would still need his help.

* * *

On the streets of the small village outside the city, the pale gangly demon sorcerer Bahsmal watched with indifference as a pack of Magogs chased several terrified civilians away. Pounding the ground a few times with his staff, Bahsmal called out to halt the Magogs from their pursuit, "Enough! Those mice have no where to run. Now, get back to work!"

With a grumble, the Cambion foot soldiers gave up their case and hurried back to help another pack of their brethren as they continued to paint sinister looking sigils on a large whitewashed building nearby. The paint they used was thick and red, almost looking as if it were made of blood.

The tall thin demon Bahsmal smiled in satisfaction as he watched the last part of the plan come together. He shouldn't have been here on earth anyway and he didn't have much time, but there was no doubt that his mistress Shemhazai's newest plan would work. Not only would it pardon his actions, but it might even lead to a promotion from Lord Gideon himself.

To his surprise, a hail of magic energy bolts erupted from behind. The five elemental bolts destroyed a few of the Magogs while throwing up a cloud of sparks and smoke around Bahsmal.

The lanky sallow skinned mage curled his cracked lips into a smile as he saw five young men and women approach from out of the smoke holding their glowing Keyrunes.

"Didn't you know that graffiti is illegal?" the Pink Ranger smirked as the five Rangers neared and confronted the monster directly.

"Even worse… it's not even good artwork," Claire added with a grim smile.

At that, the monstrous sorcerer began to laugh, "Oh my… five Rangers. I wasn't expecting to get so lucky today."

"What are you talking about demon? What's so funny?" Danny demanded giving a suspicious frown.

"It's simple. You've fallen into my trap," Bahsmal sneered, "And you weren't even my intended targets."

"Then that means you must be after Kara and the Pegasus zord…" Nick reasoned with a tense growl.

The sorcerer nodded, "Right you are child. But I may still catch them yet. In the mean time, neither you nor the people of this little town will be able to escape the snare I laid."

"We'll just see about that," Joe replied brandishing his Keyrune and prompting the other Rangers.

"Vanguard, Ascend!" they chorused together. But to their complete surprise… nothing happened.

Nearby, the red painted sigils on the building began to glow and resonate, acting as a central conduit for a large demon spell. Dark tendrils of energy coiled up from the building and spread out over the town, connecting to one another in an evil web of pulsing energy. To the fleeing civilians' horror, the points around the town that had also been painted with the red sigils reacted, creating force fields that prevented anyone or anything from escaping.

"Clever isn't it?" Bahsmal grinned, "This ancient Cambion spell was designed to trap titans, but had the added effect of negating the effects of Empyrian war magic."

The Rangers froze and looked to each other in surprised fear. Without their powers, they wouldn't be able to stand against the might of this new demon sorcerer.

"Oh crap," Danny hissed to Joe, "What are we going to do now?"

Bahsmal leveled his glowing staff with a sinister growl, "Now, I think you should die!"

The Rangers fearfully dove away as the sorcerer let loose a powerful wave of dark magic that tore up the streets and swept the five of them aside, sending them tumbling amid the smoky charred gravel. Without their Ranger suits to protect them, the five friends were suddenly reminded just how powerful some of these monsters could be and just how vulnerable they were unmorphed.

As the five heroes lay stunned and dirty on the ground, Bahsmal lowered his staff and gave a contemptuous snort. "It's almost disappointing how easy that was. But a victory is still a victory."

Before he could speak any further, another combatant entered the battlefield amid a cloud of jet black smoke. As the cloud engulfed Bahsmal, the sorcerer felt himself slashed by a powerful blade. As the smoke subsided, Bahsmal stared in shock at the form of a fellow Cambion demon, only from Abaddon's legion. He was a broad powerful warrior clad in thick armor with rusty red skin and a pair of broken horns on his head.

"Moloch, what are you doing here?" Bahsmal groaned in pain, "What is the meaning of this?"

"I'm putting an end to the treachery of your mistress," Moloch answered gripping his dark falchion. "You and your legion attempt to steal glory from General Abaddon and dishonor yourselves by trying to defeat the Rangers with trickery and cowardly sorcery."

Bahsmal grunted again defiantly, "We don't share your legion's belief in martial honor. We do whatever it takes to win."

"And that is why you're bound to fail," Moloch sneered, "You're so frail you can't even endure the strike of a weapon when combat becomes necessary."

"I…" Bahsmal began but he was suddenly cut off as his body started erupting into sparks and fiery smoke. It was then he realized that the wound he had received from his fellow demon had been fatal.

"The demons are fighting amongst themselves now?" Claire groaned pulling herself to her knees, "What the hell is going on here?"

The Rangers watched as Bahsmal stifled another cry and keeled over backwards exploding into a cloud of fire and smoke.

Moloch sniffed in contempt and picked up Bahsmal's staff as proof of slaying the rogue Cambion agent. As he did, the sorcerer's trap spell began to dissipate and fade away. Turning to the shocked Vanguard Rangers, the warrior Moloch leveled his falchion, "Once that coward's spell fades, we'll do battle and I'll bring your heads to General Abaddon myself."

From where they knelt on the ground, the five Rangers could only hope that the spell would last a little longer or that Kara would make an appearance now.


	28. The Surging Thunderbolt

**Episode 14: Part 2**

From where he stood, the demon warrior Moloch patiently sharpened his blade with a small whetstone while he waited for Bahsmal's magic to dispel. Nearby, the Magogs formerly under the sorcerer's command turned and fled in terror, not wanting to get caught up in their generals' feud. While Moloch sharpened his weapon, he spotted Izzy turn to her fellow Rangers and begin to speak but he cut her off, "I know what you're thinking right now little girl, and no. Running away will do you no good. Either way, we will have our battle on a level field free of Shemhazai's taint."

"Well, that's really sporting of you," Joe said sarcastically crossing his arms and trying not to show any fear, "I don't suppose you're going to tell us why you're doing this... I mean, after all, we've got a little time left to kill."

Moloch snorted in amusement, "I don't care about honor toward you humans. I only care about destroying you in a way that will restore glory to General Abaddon's legion. I'm going to..."

The demon was suddenly cut off as a jet of dark smoke arose from the spot where the sorcerer Bahsmal had fallen. A bright glowing Cambion brand appeared and flared an angry color before reviving the slain monster, only in the form of a fearsome giant.

"Damn! Damn that accursed witch!" Moloch roared as Bahsmal stretched out and looked down to the ground below him, "I should of known he had been branded."

"I see you Moloch!" the giant monstrous sorcerer boomed in fury, "I've got a score to settle with you first!"

Moloch tumbled away as Bahsmal's giant foot came down and stomped the ruined pavement, causing the Rangers to lose their balance again and stumble over each other.

"Man! Demon drama, giant monsters, and we still can't morph! Can this day get any worse?" Nick shouted as the last of the snare spell continued to fade away.

Meanwhile, high up in the sky, the great form of an ancient majestic Pegasus zord descended from the clouds giving a furious cry. From where she sat, clinging to the armored mane of the zord, Kara watched intently as she and her new ally swooped downward like an avenging bolt of lighting to face the Cambion intruders. As she and the Pegasus had made their return to the city of Hyperion Falls, they had spotted the massive spell that Bahsmal had triggered.

While they continued to descend on the battlefield, Kara's stomach dropped as she suddenly realized that there was another great demon warrior on the ground as well as the whole team of unmorphed Vanguard Rangers. Something had gone wrong and she had to help.

The wind whipped through her golden hair as Kara gripped her Keyrune tightly. The Rangers had been right. She may have been a warrior of Eden once before, but there was no point in letting her past hold her back either. Her enemies were still threatening the future of this world, a future she hoped she could share with new friends and fellow humans... like the Vanguard Rangers.

"All right," she called loudly to her Pegasus zord, "our friends need some help. You take the big demon, the one on the ground is mine."

The Pegasus bucked and whinnied in agreement as it tucked its wings into a steep dive. To Bahsmal's complete shock, an armored Pegasus crashed down upon him from above and plowed the demon into the turf with its momentum. As the titanic horse bucked and trampled its opponent with its hooves, the unmorphed Gold Ranger leapt off its mane with her scimitars in hand to confront Moloch.

"Whoah... no way," Claire gasped in awe while the Red Ranger helped her to her feet.

"Yes way!" Nick corrected her pumping a fist in the air, "Go Kara!"

Beside him the Pink Ranger gave a bright laugh, "I knew it! I knew she'd come back to us!"

Just like her element, the Gold Ranger dashed forward at almost superhuman speed and locked weapons with Abaddon's newest servant. Despite his power, Moloch was weighed down by his heavy armor and weapon, making him awkward against the quick agile Ranger. In a flash of golden hair, Kara charged her blades and parried aside Moloch's strikes, ducking and weaving around him, landing paralyzing counter blows in punishment. As she dodged another swing with a sideways somersault, Kara brought both her blades around and sent Moloch reeling backwards just as Bahsmal's spell ended and evaporated harmlessly in the air.

Nearby, the Pegasus zord screamed angrily as it dodged a magic blast from the giant sorcerer Bahsmal and kicked aside his staff with its front hooves. Bringing its head down, the zord bit the demon in the neck and hurled him roughly to the ground. As it reared up, the Pegasus gave another angry cry and spread its wings causing the clouds above to darken and swirl. With the wave of its head, the zord brought down a powerful thunder strike that rattled the ground and incinerated the giant Cambion sorcerer.

Back down on the ground, Kara gave an approving smile and waved a thank you to her zord as the other Rangers rushed up to join her.

"Kara! You came back! That was amazing!" Danny cheered giving her a thumbs up.

The Gold Ranger nodded and looked calmly toward Nick and Izzy, "Yes... it seems that you two were right after all. Maybe there is a place for me here, with you five."

"Thank you Kara. We're glad to have you with us and we hope you'll stay," Joe added putting an encouraging hand on her shoulder... one that she didn't push away.

Kara looked to the Red Ranger and gave a nod, "The five of you still have a lot to learn, but you each have admirable qualities. Joseph Hale, you may not be the equal of Commander Auriel, but I will be proud to fight alongside you and your Rangers."

At that moment, Moloch regained his footing and fought off his electrical paralysis. "I'm not through with you Rangers yet... not by a long shot," the demon snarled furiously.

"All right everyone," Joe called out to his friends, "The spell is broken. You know what we have to do!"

With one unified motion, all six Rangers held their Keyrunes high and shouted in one voice, "Vanguard, Ascend!"

In a brilliant flash of light, all six Rangers stood together, fully morphed and ready for combat.

"Is that it? Am I supposed to be scared?" Moloch jeered, "What are you going to do now? Tell me who you are so that I'll remember it?"

Turning to the others with a smile, the Danny laughed, "Wow, it looks like he's really asking for it now."

"Then let's give him what he wants," the Red Ranger smiled stepping forward and leading their roll call while the wind picked up and skies cleared:

 _"The Radiant Torch, Vanguard Red!"_  
 _"The Swirling Tempest, Vanguard Blue!"_  
 _"The Rumbling Mountain, Vanguard Green!"_  
 _"The Stinging Blizzard, Vanguard White!"_  
 _"The Dancing Whirlwind, Vanguard Pink!"_  
 _"The Surging Thunderbolt, Vanguard Gold!"_

 _"The Light of the Past, and the Hope of the Future!"_ they chorused together, _"Power Rangers!"_

To his surprise, Moloch recoiled backwards and raised his hand to shield his eyes from the radiant glow that seemed to shine from the angelic Rangers as they lit up the entire battlefield with their celestial light.

As they drew their weapons, Kara nodded to the Red Ranger beside her then called out to the monster, "The wrath of the heavens will strike you down!"

Giving a confident twirl of his saber, Joe leveled his sword at the disoriented demon, "Vanguard, Take Flight!"

"Come on! I'll take you all on!" Moloch roared hurling a barrage of dark magic projectiles from his blade.

With a cheer, all six Rangers charged forward dodging the energy blasts and deflecting them aside with their weapons.

"Whitesteel, Armor on!" the first five Rangers called summoning their silver arm guards and shields while they continued to advance.

The demon warrior took a few steps back in surprise as the Rangers charged straight into his attack and deflected the rest of the projectiles with their shields while bringing their weapons to bear. Using their armor to block Moloch's sword swing, Danny and Nick dropped their guards together and counterattacked, stunning the warrior with a spear thrust and hammer strike.

As Moloch staggered back blindly swinging his weapon, Claire and Izzy tumbled in low from the sides and drove their Feather Stinger gladius swords into the demon's boots, pinning them to the ground.

Moloch roared again as all four Rangers shifted off sideways allowing Joe and Kara to make a coordinated leaping attack with their own swords. Before the Cambion warrior could react, he was pummeled by a storm of sword blows laced with fire and electrical energy. As Moloch struggled to rise from the ground, the Rangers regrouped and faced him together again.

"You know why you demons are never going to win, right?" Nick called out.

"Six Rangers who fight as one, always beat a divided enemy!" Izzy added giving Kara a nod.

Across the battlefield, the demon in smoking ruined armor tossed his sword aside and growled, continuing to weakly stagger forward, "I'm going to tear you apart."

The Red Ranger shook his head toward their pitiful enemy , "Everyone? Let's bring it together."

In an instant, the five Vanguard Rangers called upon their Radiant Arbalest and took aim. Beside them, Kara fused her blades and ignited them into a crackling lightning bolt. Stepping beside the Red Ranger, she loaded it into their Arbalest and helped to take aim. "Ready?"

"Fire!" all the Rangers called together unleashing a super charged bolt of crackling white hot light from their combined weapon. In a heartbeat, Moloch was engulfed in white light and vaporized in a brilliant fiery explosion that rocked the entire battlefield like an earthquake.

As the fires died down, the Pegasus zord reared up and gave a victorious cry to the Rangers as it spread its wings and took off into the sky, ready to return when they needed to call on it again. The Rangers gave another cheer and waved goodbye to the new zord before turning to their newest ally.

"Wow, you really came through for us today Kara," Claire grinned holding up her hand for a high five, "you were definitely awesome back there!"

The Gold Ranger tilted her head slightly in confusion at the gesture, unsure of how to respond while leaving Claire hanging. "Um... thank you."

Nick gave a laugh and patted Claire on the head while grinning toward Izzy, "Don't sweat the high five Claire. Kara's still got some adjusting to do, so baby steps."

The Pink Ranger joined in his laugh at having been quoted while Joe and Danny exchanged an amused shrug with each other. Amid the laughter and confused amusement of her new allies, Kara couldn't help but smile slightly behind her visor. These were odd warriors to say the least, but ones with good hearts. She guessed that given enough time, she might actually start liking them.

* * *

The next day, all six Rangers gathered again in the office of Professor Bishop. After retelling the events of the battle yesterday, Bishop smiled to Kara, "It seems we have to keep thanking you for coming to the rescue Kara. But we're all glad you've finally decided to join us."

The Gold Ranger gave a reserved smile and nodded slightly toward the Pink and Green Rangers, "No need to thank me Professor. It was... the right thing to do."

Izzy and Nick exchanged a grin as Kara echoed their own words.

Nearby Joe added hopefully, "Hey Kara, since you'll be around more, would you be willing to teach us some of your martial arts moves, or how to heal each other with our Keyrunes?"

The young blonde woman graced him with a small nod as well, "If you five are truly willing to learn, then that arrangement will be acceptable."

From the couch, Claire piped up from beside Joe, "Uh, Professor? If Kara is going to be a permanent fixture around here, that does raise some issues. Where is she going to stay and how do we introduce her to people?"

Bishop smiled and laughed gently, "Don't worry Claire. I've given it some thought."

Turning to the Gold Ranger, Professor Bishop said, "You have to be a student to live in the university dorms or apartments, but I live in a two bedroom townhouse just outside of campus town. If I clear out the second bedroom, you're free to stay there if you'd like Kara."

Kara gave a surprised look before bowing her head slightly in gratitude, "I... thank you Professor. That is most kind of you."

Joe gave an amused smile, "And what about her cover story professor? The rest of us can't exactly go around introducing her as a warrior from an ancient floating continent."

Bishop leaned back in his seat thoughtfully, "I was thinking Kara could be my younger distant cousin from abroad... maybe from some remote part of Scandanavia?"

"Well, I guess that works," Danny laughed sitting down beside Kara, "Blonde hair, bluish eyes, and she's as tough as a Viking warrior,"

He put a friendly arm around her shoulders and gave her a wink, "Except much more pretty, am I right?"

To the Blue Ranger's surprise, Kara whipped her hand out and clamped down on his wrist in an iron grip, making him yelp. Like lightning, she swiftly twisted the arm and dropped him roughly to the floor. "Your courage in battle is admirable Daniel, but I will not tolerate you being unfaithful."

"What? Ow! What the hell is she talking about?" Danny cried trying to keep Kara from breaking his arm in half.

"Oh... I can answer that one," Nick said with a grin, "She seems to be under the impression that you're Izzy's beloved so you probably shouldn't cheat on her."

"Nick! I can't believe you said that!" Izzy cried in sudden outrage jumping to her feet, "Kara, ignore him! He's an idiot!"

"Wait... beloved? Really? What's that all about?" Danny asked curiously from the floor while still being pinned.

Joe, Claire, and Bishop sat off to the side stifling their laughter as Nick shrugged to Danny, "It seems Izzy and Kara were having a pretty involved talk before I arrived. You'll have to ask them."

Kara stood in confusion as Nick began to roar in laughter and jump around the room as a furious Pink Ranger chased him trying to slap him in the head.

"Come back here Nick! You're such a liar!" Izzy shouted chasing Nick out the door rattling off a string of curse words in Spanish.

"Wait! Iz! Don't go! What were you talking about?" Danny called jumping up and chasing them outside.

Following close behind, Claire hurried from the couch while trying to grab his sleeve, "Hey, come on Danny! Stop teasing her already! Come back here!"

Bishop continued to roar with laughter as Kara stood in stoic confusion turning to Joe. "These are your friends? The Rangers that you lead? Such madness. I don't envy your position."

Joe smiled and continued to laugh at the scene that just unfolded, "I still wouldn't trade them for the world."

"Are they always like this?" Kara asked hesitantly.

Giving a gentle smile, the Red Ranger put a hand on her shoulder and led her out the door with another laugh, "Trust me Kara. Just give it some time and I'm sure they'll grow on you. We all will."

It seemed these five Rangers still had a lot to learn, Kara thought to herself in bemusement as she followed behind the other boisterous Rangers, but at the moment... apparently so did she.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **And that closes out the 6th Ranger arc. It's been a lot of fun to write so far and I think things can only get more interesting from here. Thanks again to everyone whose been supporting the series so far. I couldn't ask for better readers!**


	29. Kindred Spirits

**Episode 15: Part 1**

"Lord Gideon, we can explain," Shemhazai pleaded as she and General Abaddon cowered before the Lord of the Cambion Legions. Archangel Gideon pounded the armrest of his marble throne furiously and eyed his two generals.

"I am not interested in either of your excuses! I've heard enough from both of you! Your actions have allowed the Rangers to gain the allegiance of a new titan and cost us 3 field commanders in the battles."

"My Lord, I apologize…" Abaddon began but his master cut him off.

"I won't hear it General!" Gideon snapped, "I thought I made myself clear that neither of you are to conduct attacks without my permission. And what's more? Your demons are working against each other… in battle!

"Lord Gideon…" Shemhazai started but the fallen Archangel waved his hand and roared, "Enough! Both of you leave my sight! Until you figure out a way to coordinate your future actions, I will handle the current campaign. Is that understood?"

Both demon commanders bowed in shame from having been rebuked and hurried out the doors of the throne room to plot their next moves, sulking off into the dark shadows.

* * *

"Are you really certain about this Professor?" Kara asked as she and Professor Bishop walked into the main lobby of the student dormitory that Tuesday afternoon.

"Of course Kara," Bishop replied with a smile, "It's been about what, three weeks since you came to live with me? The best way for you to start adjusting to modern life is to not be scared and just dive right in. You can't deny that since the girls took you shopping, you've started to look like a regular college student now."

Kara glanced down at the new clothes she was wearing and sighed. Admittedly, the dark flats, blue jeans, and stylish yellow sweater was still going to take some getting used to, but the Professor was right. She'd have to start trying to fit in at some point… whether she liked it or not.

As they entered the dorm, they came across Claire, Nick, and Danny who were just leaving the cafeteria from eating lunch.

"Hey Kara! Professor! What's going on?" Nick asked greeting them with a cheerful smile.

"Hi everyone," Bishop nodded back, "I was just passing by with Kara and wondering if I could ask the five of you a little favor."

The three students exchanged a curious look as their teacher continued, "I was wondering if any of you were free this week to show Kara around a little more and maybe give her a taste of regular student life."

At that, the three gave apologetic faces, "We'd love to Professor, but it's just that you picked a real bad time for all of us," Claire began, "Everyone's kinda got a lot going on right now. I've actually got to run to a Science Club meeting. "

"Yeah, sorry Professor. I've got intramural basketball practices too," Nick added.

As they turned to Danny, the Blue Ranger shrugged apologetically, "I volunteered to help a friend teach their swing dancing classes this week. I'm afraid I can't help either."

Bishop sighed and rubbed the stubble at the side of his face, "Ok then, what about Izzy and Joe?"

At that moment, the Red Ranger came hurrying down the nearby stairwell with the Pink Ranger at his heels pulling on the sleeve of his sweater, "Come on Joe! Please? I really need your help on this one! The sorority function that I'm coordinating is counting on it!"

Joe stopped a moment and sighed, "I really wish I could help you Iz, but I told you already. I've got to work several shifts at the Library this week. I won't have much time to practice with the jazz band, and besides… I'll be tired."

"Well I can't help it that the piano player came down with mono either! I don't know anyone else I trust enough to fill in for him," Izzy pleaded, "Come on, this isn't because you're afraid Jen is going to be there is it? Because I can guarantee you she won't."

The Red Ranger frowned and gave a pointed look as she continued, "I know for a fact that she'll be on a night out in the city with her new boyfriend and… Oh crap! I shouldn't have said that…"

Joe glared in irritation at the Pink Ranger before stalking off down the side hallway, "Bye Izzy. I'm going to work now," he called in a mock sing-song voice.

Nick shook his head as he watched Izzy chase after Joe, continuing to beg and apologize every step of the way, "Well… so much for those two. Sorry again Professor, but we've got to run."

Professor Bishop gave a reluctant wave as his students hurried off before turning to his newest charge, "Well Kara, I guess it's just you and me then. I've got a couple hours before my next class, so maybe we can shoot a few rounds of billiards at the Union. What do you say?"

The Gold Ranger gave a blank look and raised an eyebrow, "What are billiards?"

* * *

Later that day, after returning home, Gabriel Bishop tossed his necktie and black blazer on an armchair and flipped on the television to a local hockey game. As he rolled up his shirt sleeves, he headed toward the kitchen to cook dinner. Nearby, Kara sat down on a footrest to observe the game.

"It's strange that this modern world is so 'civilized', yet so many of your people still enjoy watching these violent competitions," Kara said absently, "Though, I find this hockey sport to be most entertaining."

Bishop curled his lip into an amused smile as he began to put breading and spices on some chicken, "Oh really? And are there any teams you favor to win the err... grand tournament?"

Kara frowned in thought for a moment before nodding, "I believe the Blackhawks of Chicago are superior warriors."

Bishop laughed aloud, "A fan of my own home team. Kara, you and I are going to get along just fine."

As Bishop finished seasoning the chicken and threw it in the oven, he joined Kara in the living room only to be greeted by a curious look. "Do you ever get tired of living alone Professor?"

Bishop stopped at the abrupt question and gave a thoughtful frown as he sat down in his own armchair, "I'm sorry?"

The Gold Ranger wrinkled her brow for a moment before speaking again, "I couldn't help but notice how orderly your home is and how you still find time for tasks like washing, cooking, and cleaning."

"What can I say? I'm a man of many talents," Bishop chuckled lightly trying to wave it off, "I guess it's easy when you don't have little children running all over the place."

Kara nodded, "Exactly. I just find it unusual that for a man of your age, you decided not to take a wife or have any children."

Bishop frowned in mild indignation for a moment before turning off the hockey game, "Now hold on Kara. First, I'm not that old at all. Secondly, I didn't settle down and have a family yet because... well, it's a little personal."

The Gold Ranger sighed and continued to look at him in slight curiosity, "Professor, in many ways, I've lived much of my life alone and had to grow up doing things for myself. If anyone would understand that kind of lifestyle, it would be me."

Bishop fixed her with a long steady look before giving a sigh, "I suppose I can't argue there. If you really want to know, I'll tell you... but it's something I generally don't like talking or thinking about."

Kara nodded respectfully as Bishop rose from his seat and paced toward a nearby table. He picked up a framed photo and came back over handing it to Kara.

It was a picture of a beautiful dark haired young woman. In the picture, she was smiling brightly with her arms around a younger looking Bishop and they both looked to be around college age students. Glancing back at Bishop, Kara handed the photo back, "She's beautiful. Who is she?"

Bishop smiled wistfully and took the photo, "That was Julia... a girl I was once engaged to."

Kara sat back and regarded him with a look of growing curiosity, "What happened?"

"She passed away," Bishop replied softly looking away for a moment.

Kara bit her lip a moment, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Bishop sighed putting the photo back on the table and reaching for a bottle of liquor he kept on the counter, "It was many years ago, but..."

"But part of you still hasn't let her go?" the Gold Ranger finished.

Bishop gave a grim chuckle as he poured some bourbon whiskey into a small tumbler glass and sat back down, "I don't know... maybe something like that."

Kara sat quietly as Bishop told her the story of how he had met Julia during his grad school years at Hyperion University. They had dated, fell in love, and as Bishop was finishing his doctorate, they became engaged hoping to start a new life together. That was when tragedy struck.

Bishop paused and gave a distant look, "I remember when Julia suddenly became sick and how quickly the illness took her. I remember how much time I spent in prayer, begging and bargaining for Julia's life… but all in vain."

"You are a religious man?"

"Was," Bishop corrected her as he took another sip of his drink, "I used to be a devout Catholic, though a good friend and colleague of mine has been trying to do something about that ever since. Maybe you remember me mentioning a priest by the name of Father Santos?"

Kara nodded quietly as Bishop swirled the contents of his glass around, "After Julia passed away, I figured it was best to just bury myself in my work. I guess in some ways it kept me sane, but in other ways made me appear a bit odd toward others... especially when I was researching the history of your race."

"You're a teacher of History," Kara stated, "I can't exactly fault you for dwelling in the past and spending so much time trying to understand it. I suppose I'm still struggling with the same problem right now too."

Bishop nodded and gave a gentle smile, "Well Kara, it seems like we're kindred spirits then: both stuck in the past and both sort of outcasts from our respective people. I guess it's good that we're sharing a home then."

A faint smile appeared on the Gold Ranger's lips as she said, "It seems we're both looking for direction or some semblance of family in our lives Professor. I'm not certain yet, but I can't help but feel that the five Rangers we have in common may lead us there."

Bishop laughed slightly and raised his glass to his new ward, "Well spoken Kara. I'll drink to that."

With that, Bishop finished his drink and rose from his seat, trying to put on a more cheerful face "In the mean time, we've got some time before the chicken is done. Why don't you give me a hand with the side dishes?"

* * *

Later that week, Kara sat in the back of a classroom paging through a textbook while Professor Bishop gave a lecture to upper classmen about the European Renaissance. While she followed along with the lecture and listened intently, she couldn't help but be surprised at the way some students seemed to give the lesson only partial attention.

It was strange to her that these students were supposed to be here to gain knowledge and skills for later on, yet some were not taking it seriously. It was their own form of training, just as she had to go through when learning to become a warrior. The only difference was, if she didn't pay attention or take things seriously, she would be disciplined harshly, or worse, her fellow soldiers could get killed.

Still, Kara continued to pay attention in hopes of learning more about the history of humanity. It was interesting to see what had happened during the time that she was sleeping, as well as see the progress made by the race she shared some of her heritage with. After she had been freed of service to the Blind Seer Remiel, she had been in need of a new teacher and Professor Bishop seemed the next obvious choice for a mentor figure. It was her hope that he and her new Ranger friends would be able to teach her more, especially once their extra curricular obligations were taken care of this week.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as a now familiar siren went off causing the students in the classroom to momentarily freeze and fall silent. As attacks from the Cambion demons had unfortunately become a regular occurrence for the residents of Hyperion Falls, so too was the sound of the city's new warning siren, urging people to quickly find safe shelters.

"All right, settle down everyone," Bishop called to the students while trying to sound reassuring, "This isn't the first or last time this has happened. Let's all just stay calm and wait here. I'm sure the Power Rangers will have everything under control soon."

As the students settled down and began murmuring quietly among themselves, Kara rose from her seat and approached the front of the classroom where Bishop stood. The Professor gave her a knowing nod as his phone vibrated. After checking the message, he turned to the Gold Ranger, "The demons are close by and making a raid on the edge of campus. The other Rangers are on the way."

Kara nodded quickly, "Then I'll go and help them. Will your class be safe here?"

"We'll be fine Kara," Bishop reassured her, "Go help the others. I'll keep an eye on everyone here."

Turning back to the class, Bishop called out to the class to draw their attention, "Ok everyone, let's uh... try to take our minds off of everything and maybe finish the lecture?"

While the class was distracted, Kara saw her chance and slipped out the rear doors of the lecture hall so that she could join the other Rangers in battle. No doubt they were close and a battle was raging nearby. As she hurried down the empty hallway and began reaching for her Keyrune, Kara was surprised as she noticed the twinge of a strange feeling that she hadn't felt in quite some time... genuine concern for the safety of others: for Professor Bishop, for his class, and for her fellow Power Rangers.

Shaking off the thought, she gripped her Keyrune tightly. Now was the time to focus. There were monsters terrorizing the campus and she still had a job to do.


	30. A Semblance of Family

**Episode15: Part 2**

A cloud of earth erupted from the ground as the fully assembled Vanguard Megazord locked horns with the newest threat to the city. The demon who resembled a monstrous warthog gave a snort and charged forward, smashing its tusks into the Megazord, driving it backwards quickly.

"This is not exactly how I was planning on spending my afternoon," Claire muttered grimly from her console while Nick shouted a taunt to the monster and made a hard maneuver with his controls. The Megazord brought one of its legs up while it grappled the monster and kicked it in the tusk, breaking the tip of it off. Moving in concert with the Green Ranger, Danny pumped his own controls and had the Megazord bring its other arm around in a counter punch to drive the monster back.

To the Rangers' relief, they watched as the giant warthog was struck from the side and sent reeling by a charging headbutt from the Gold Ranger's giant Pegasus zord. "I am sorry for the delay," Kara called, "I had to get clear of the civilians."

"Better late than never," the Red Ranger called back to her with a grateful nod as the Megazord turned back to face the giant monster again. To their surprise, the recovered demon snorted again and began to laugh, "Foolish Rangers, you haven't even realized you've been tricked."

"What are you talking about Porkchop?" Nick called back defiantly.

The warthog demon squealed and gestured back toward the campus, "You've been so busy fighting me, you haven't even realized the platoon of Magogs we kept in reserve."

"Damn! A diversion tactic," Joe growled clenching a fist, "Everyone, we need to wrap this up fast and head back."

The others gave a grim nod while Kara felt her stomach drop. She had just been there and now, the lives of innocent students would be in danger from the fresh wave of Magogs.

"What are we going to do about that big pig?" Danny asked glancing back at the monster, "I don't think the Megazord has enough power to pin it down by itself."

The Rangers fell silent for a moment before Claire gave a thoughtful snap of the fingers and spoke up, "Could we maybe fuse with the Pegasus zord? I mean, if the rest of our zords can combine, then why not Kara's too, right?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Joe answered quickly before turning toward the Pegasus zord, "What do you say Kara? Let's give that combining sigil a try?"

The Gold Ranger gave a hesitant look for a moment, then surveyed the battlefield once more, "Very well."

She wasn't sure if it would even work, but to the Rangers' surprise, the Pegasus zord responded. As it dashed into place, the Vanguard Megazord fused with the Pegasus at its legs to form what almost resembled a mounted warrior. Reaching down, the Megazord detached the Pegasus's metallic wings into two curved swords.

"Nice!" Nick laughed in glee, "The Cavalry has literally arrived."

As it towered over the monster, the combined Megazords charged forward on the Pegasus's hooves. In one motion, the Megazord trampled the demon and delivered a powerful finishing slash of its swords to the shocked monster. While the Megazord circled back around, the warthog demon give a gurgling squeal as it collapsed and exploded into brimstone.

From her place in the cockpit, the Gold Ranger rose quickly, "Everyone, there's no time. Those Magogs were headed toward Professor Bishop's classroom. I will go ahead to help clear the way."

Without wasting any more time, the 6 Rangers hurried to disengage their zords and hurry back towards campus as fast as their wings would carry them.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the university, Professor Bishop continued on with his lecture until he was interrupted by a several quick knocks at the lecture hall's locked doors. Hurrying over, Bishop unlocked the door and peered out the side only to find the familiar but panicked face of Dr. Feldman.

"Maggie? What's going on? Are you ok?" Bishop asked in concern as he let the Botany professor in and quickly locked the door behind her.

The young red headed woman caught her breath and put a hand on Bishop's shoulder to steady herself, "Thank God you're here Gabriel! Those monsters are crawling all over the campus! I almost thought they were going to spot me."

Bishop's heart began to race with growing fear. If the Rangers were already busy battling a monster, then what were a group of Magogs doing here? Something must have gone wrong.

"Are they nearby?" he asked quickly casting a protective glance toward his students in the room.

The Botany professor nodded fearfully, "A handful of them looked like they were coming this way."

Bishop looked about quickly and grimaced, trying to swallow his own fear. If it came down to it, he would protect these students. Even if he wasn't a Power Ranger himself, it was still his responsibility.

Turning to everyone in the room, he said, "Ok everyone, over in the corner, there's a rear door for the faculty out of this room. I want you all to gather by it and get ready to escape if you have to. Maggie, I'll leave it to you if things go badly. Take the students to the Union."

"But Gabe, what about you?" Feldman asked in sudden concern.

The History professor shook his head, "I'll stay here and try to buy you as much time as I can."

He grabbed a loose wooden chair and held it ready as an improvised weapon. For a moment, he couldn't help but wonder if he was feeling the same sort of anxiety his Rangers often did whenever they went charging off into battle.

Several tense minutes passed until the sound of murmurs and snarls came from behind the classroom's doors. Bishop tensed as the locked doorknob turned several times to no avail. While the sound of the Magogs grew more agitated, the doors began to rattle under the force of several heavy blows.

Waving the students and Dr. Feldman to escape, Bishop stood his ground as a group of Magogs burst through the doors and attacked. To their surprise, the lone professor was ready for them and smashed the chair over one of the soldier's heads. In a flash, Bishop grabbed the fallen Magog's spear to deflect a strike while kicking another nearby minion away. Turning the locked weapons aside, Bishop shoulder checked the demon backward and took off running for the door as more Magogs swarmed into the room.

Breathing heavily, Professor Bishop hurried out the rear door and dashed onto the main Quad. To his horror, his students and Dr. Feldman had already been cornered by another patrol of enemies, threatening them with their spears.

"Gabriel!" Dr. Feldman cried both in fear and relief. The professor rejoined the students and waved his own spear, feebly tying to ward off the advancing demon foot soldiers that encircled them. As Bishop took a lunging thrust at one, the Magog parried the blow aside while another followed up and sent the professor flying backwards with a hard kick to the shoulder.

The students gasped as Bishop grunted in pain, struggling to rise with a now sprained arm. While Dr. Feldman knelt down to help him to his knees, they were both blinded by a brilliant light. As the air rippled with static electricity, Bishop, Feldman, and the other students witnessed the morphed Gold Vanguard Ranger standing before them with her blades drawn. She took a ready stance to defend the civilians while the intimidated Magogs stepped back a few paces. Turning her head slightly to her friend and mentor, Kara spoke, "I will protect you Professor. I'm sure you have family members that still need you."

Bishop broke out into a slow relieved smile catching the reference to their recent talk and Kara's new identity as his foreign cousin. "Thank you, Gold Ranger."

Dr. Feldman gave a confused look as she helped prop Bishop up. "Gabe? What is she talking about?"

Moments later, a strong gust of wind blew across the lawn as the 5 Vanguard Rangers swooped in and arrived to help. The other students sat in awe of the 6 heroes as Nick turned to Dr. Feldman, "We'll take care of things here Miss. Just stand back and keep these kids safe."

The Botany Professor stammered in surprise before giving a nod and directing the students to get down. As they did, the Red Ranger drew his Feather Stinger pistol and handed it to Bishop, "Just in case we miss a couple."

The History professor took the pistol and grinned to his student with a nod. At that point, all the other Magogs who had been terrorizing campus broke off their attack and regrouped on the quad to confront the Rangers.

"All right Rangers," Joe said drawing his gladius, "I don't know about you, but I think it's time for a little Spring Cleaning."

The others responded by pulling out their own sidearms and giving a nod in agreement. From their spot on the quad, Bishop and his class watched as the 6 Rangers sprung into action causing a furious melee to erupt on the lawn. Despite their numerical advantage, none of the Magogs could land a blow or keep up with the speed and agility of the Vanguard Rangers. While his class continued to watch with wide eyes, Bishop noticed each of the Rangers were incorporating some new martial arts moves into their fighting styles. Each move, whether it was a grapple, reversal, or a counter punch, had a distinct grace about it and was likely a credit to the combat training Kara had begun teaching them.

Soon enough, the morale of the Magogs began to break as their numbers grew dangerously thin. While the other Rangers mowed down the minions with their pistols or short swords, Kara dispatched her last opponent, twisting the monster's arm and slashing it through the side. As the Gold Ranger tossed aside the enemy, she turned in surprise to find one more demon who had snuck up from behind and raised a mace over its head.

Just then, the Magog gave a cry and crumpled to the ground as a blaster shot rang out from behind. The Gold Ranger glanced over and caught sight of Professor Bishop holding a smoking blaster pistol, giving a quick thumbs up.

Her attention turned back to the others as she realized the battle was over and the rest of the Magogs had retreated.

"That's the last of them," Izzy smiled tapping the Gold Ranger on the shoulder.

Nearby, Bishop approached the Red Ranger and handed his pistol back, "Thanks again for everything Rangers," he said pretending not to look too familiar or casual with them.

"Just doing our job sir," Joe replied calmly as he holstered the weapon. "Are you hurt?"

Bishop waved him off and cradled his bad arm, "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

The Red Ranger nodded and gestured to the others, "Let's go!"

Bishop watched as the 6 Rangers called their wings and took off into the sky, almost as quickly as they had arrived. Looking back to the others, Bishop shared a relieved smile with Dr. Feldman while the rest of the class hurried over, asking him if he was ok and cheering about what a complete bad-ass they had for a teacher.

* * *

The next day, the 6 Rangers reconvened at the Rookery within Bishop's office for a visit. Despite the chaos of the surprise attack, the Rangers were in good spirits and relieved that no one was seriously hurt, especially their mentor who had gotten away with only a sprained shoulder. As he sat behind his desk, Bishop shifted to get comfortable with his arm sling before speaking again, "Thanks again for coming by to check up on me everyone. That's really thoughtful of you."

"Well, why wouldn't we?" Claire smiled, "You're our teacher, and an important part of the team too."

"She's right," Danny added, "Plus, if it wasn't for your heroics yesterday, those students could have been hurt…or worse."

"Thanks you two," Bishop said with a slight frown, "Though I couldn't help but think that the attack yesterday was a little different. It seemed a little more organized and methodical, which worries me."

Nearby, Joe gave a tired yawn, "But I think that's something we can worry about next time. Right now, I could use a nap because it's been a long week."

"So Izzy actually convinced you to play for her charity event tomorrow night, huh?" Nick chuckled.

"If by convince, you mean guilt trip? Then yes." The Red Ranger replied earning himself a playful jab in the side from Izzy.

"That reminds me Professor, the rest of us are going tomorrow," the Pink Ranger said hopefully, "Why don't you and Kara come along too! There will be music, food, and dancing. If anything, it'll be our way of making it up to Kara for not being able to hang out with her this week."

"Thank you for the offer Izzy. I will attend," the Gold Ranger answered first.

Unfortunately, Bishop was a little more reluctant, "Are you really sure?"

"Why not?" Nick replied, "I know some other teachers and faculty members will be there. Or why not ask Dr. Feldman to go with you? Isn't she an old friend and classmate of yours too?"

Bishop wrinkled his features, "Well, yes. But, I don't know…"

That's when Kara gave a serene glance toward him, "Professor, you had been encouraging me to adjust to my present surroundings and to… dive right in, as you put it. Perhaps adjusting to the present would be a good thing for you to try as well?"

The other Rangers exchanged curious looks before Bishop gave a light chuckle and nodded, "Ok then. I'll do it."

* * *

The next evening, the Rangers met in one of the Student Union's reception halls for the spring semi formal charity event hosted by Izzy's sorority. After a few quick announcements from the event sponsors, the six friends gathered around the piano where Joe sat, straightening his tie and stretching his fingers out beforehand. Sitting nearby, two fellow students from the music department who played the string bass and the drums went over their music one more time. They had also volunteered to be jazz musicians for the evening and did a last minute tuning of their instruments as well.

While they did, Nick gave Kara a friendly nudge in the shoulder, "It's good that you were able to make it out and do something fun with us Kara. It's just too bad the rest of us were a little too busy this week to spend time with you."

"No need to apologize," Kara replied calmly as she smoothed out her newest yellow casual dress, "Passing some time this week with Professor Bishop was still very insightful... and I learned a lot."

"Hey! Let's get this party started already," the Pink Ranger cut in with a cheerful smile, "I want to start dancing!"

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't know the steps to any of your dances," the Gold Ranger said with a slight grimace.

"Don't sweat it Kara," Joe chuckled while scooting over on the piano bench, "You can sit here next to me and make me look good tonight."

As Kara took a seat beside the Red Ranger, he signaled the rest of the musicians and they began a jazzy rendition of Frank Sinatra's Way You Look Tonight.

Turning to look around, the Blue Ranger said, "Hey Iz, you wanna…"

He was cut off as Nick gave him a friendly wink and led the Pink Ranger out on the floor to dance first, "Sorry preppy. Guess you'll have to take a number."

Danny gave a bemused sigh and shook his head until he felt someone give him a light poke in the side.

"Don't worry Danny. Joe's a little busy, so you can still dance with me in the meantime," Claire laughed patting him on the shoulder.

Danny grinned to the White Ranger and gave a playful wink while leading her out on the floor, "Now Claire, you know you're like a little sister that I love to mess with, so don't go thinking this means anything, ok?"

Claire rolled her eyes with a gentle smile and took his arm, "Oh brother… I wouldn't dream of it."

While Joe continued to play the piano along with the other musicians, Kara watched the other Rangers out on the floor, smiling and laughing to each other while dancing in a slow swing step. As she glanced about the room, she caught sight of Professor Bishop sitting at a nearby table. While he couldn't dance due to his arm sling, he still sat enjoying the evening, chatting with Dr. Maggie Feldman over some drinks.

After having shared another laugh with Feldman, Bishop glanced over and spotted Kara sitting by the piano. Giving a warm smile to his ward, he raised his glass and gave a wink. Returning the gesture with a nod and a smile of her own, the Gold Ranger sat back and began to take in the music, the lights, and the easy atmosphere. This was actually very pleasant, she thought to herself quietly. Perhaps getting used to things here would be much easier and more enjoyable than she originally thought after all.


	31. Devil's Advocate

**Episode 16: Part 1**

"Now that was some good pasta," Joe Hale sighed contently as he leaned back in his seat and pushed aside his finished dinner plate. It was Friday evening and the dormitory cafeteria was beginning to clear out as a few other students remained finishing their late meals. Kara, who had been visiting for dinner, sat across from him at the table and gave a passing glance while intently digging into a large bowl of orange Jello.

"You're really going to town there Kara," Joe smiled in amusement. "You like the Jello?"

The Gold Ranger finished her bowl and gave him a serious nod, "Yes. The taste of this dessert is most pleasing. Are you going to eat yours?"

"Be my guest," the Red Ranger laughed gently as he passed Kara his own bowl of Jello. "You know, it's going to be kinda quiet here this weekend."

"Indeed," Kara said in between bites, "I understand that Claire went to visit Nick's farm so she could take some plant samples for a science project. But why did Daniel go with them too?"

Joe smiled to himself recalling the memory, "Well, several months ago, he kinda ruined one of Claire's other projects so I guess you can say he's paying her back for that and helping her now."

The Gold Ranger finished her food and rose from the table, "I see. Then I should be returning home too. Professor Bishop said we would be partaking in a sport called miniature-golfing tonight."

"All right then. Have fun!" Joe called giving a friendly wave to the departing Gold Ranger. No sooner had Kara left, Izzy entered the cafeteria along with a younger looking girl and they headed for the table. Like Izzy, the girl was very attractive, dressed in stylish pink colored clothes and had many similar features, particularly the tan skin and long brown hair. Most likely they were related.

"Hey Joe! Say hello to my younger cousin Carmen!" Izzy beamed, "She's a sophomore in high school and she's visiting me for the weekend."

The Red Ranger smiled and shook Carmen's hand politely as Izzy introduced them and they sat down at the table.

"So Carmen, are you already checking out the campus?" he asked, "Maybe thinking about coming here for school in a couple years?"

"No," Carmen said sheepishly, "Actually, Izzy's always kinda been like a big sister to me so I just came to visit and stay a few nights with her."

"Carmen just had a bad breakup with her boyfriend," the Pink Ranger explained, "So she needed some cheering up and came here to hang out. Oh, and if you're free this weekend, you should join us too! We'll have fun."

"Hmm, spend the weekend with two lovely ladies?" Joe grinned playfully, "Sure. Why not? Everyone else is gone."

"Great!" Izzy exclaimed, "How about we start by going bowling at the Union. 9 PM?"

* * *

Later that evening, the three began making their way home to the dorms after a fun night of bowling, ice cream, and telling funny stories at the Union. The face on the illuminated school clock tower ticked close to midnight as the three strolled down a wide walkway lit by lamp posts. Despite the warm spring air, the campus seemed strangely deserted that night making the walking paths seem a little more eerie in the darkness.

Untroubled by it, the three continued on their way until a figure calmly stepped out of the shadows ahead of them and stood in the middle of the walking path. Joe and Izzy stopped abruptly and tensed up as the figure approached, preparing to either take a fighting stance or pull out their Keyrunes.

To both their surprise, Carmen gave a gasp and called out, "Ms. S? What are you doing here?"

As the figure approached into the light, the two Rangers saw that Ms. S. was a youngish woman in her 30's who was slim and attractive, with fair skin, dark features, and green eyes. She wore a skirt and expensive looking dark business clothes.

"You know this woman?" Izzy asked her cousin suspiciously.

"Of course she does," Ms. S said with a pleasant smile as she neared, "Carmen and I had a bit of a business arrangement and I'm here to collect."

"Collect?" Joe said in surprise, "Like money? Right now?"

The woman gave him a patronizing smile, "Oh no. Something a little more... abstract."

"Excuse me, but just who exactly are you?" Izzy frowned.

The business lady gave a laugh and extended a hand, "Where are my manners? My name is Ms. Sinestra. I guess you could say I'm a solicitor of the Cambion Legions. Carmen and I had made a little deal and I kept my end of the bargain. Now I'm here to collect her soul."

"What?" Joe and Izzy both cried loudly in unison, but they were cut off as Carmen stepped forward.

"That wasn't a deal! It's barely been a month and my boyfriend already broke up with me!"

Izzy spun around furiously on her cousin, "Ay chica! Are you loca? What the hell kind of deal did you make with strangers like her?"

Sinestra gave a catlike smile and waved it off, "Let me explain. You cousin had been pining for some boy and I offered to help. I said I would help her win over her boy and I'd come back for some form of repayment later."

"I thought she was some crazy substitute teacher who was joking around, so I figured, why not? What was the worst that could happen at school?" Carmen pleaded to her angry cousin.

"I see. You kept your words vague and tricked Carmen into an open ended contract," Joe said crossing his arms to the demoness, "I'm guessing you didn't specify the terms of repayment, or make any assurances that she would be able to keep said boyfriend either, right?"

"Clever boy," Sinestra grinned to the Red Ranger, "but the fact remains... she still agreed to our deal and I'm here to enslave her to Cambion service."

"We'll just see about that," Izzy growled reaching for her Keyrune.

"Not so fast," Sinestra warned her, "Using force will do you no good. The magic of this kind of contract is bound to Empyrian law itself."

Carmen gave Izzy a questioning look, "Izzy? What is she talking about?"

The Pink Ranger ignored her, "Then we'll challenge your deal on legal grounds... that there was a breach of contract on your end."

Sinestra gave a delighted laugh, "How amusing! But if you actually want a legal battle, there will be costs to have it heard... metaphysical costs."

The Pink Ranger curled her lip defiantly and reached out a hand, "Fine. How about this? Let Carmen go. I'll take her place and assume her debts if we lose."

Sinestra stopped and smiled at the thought of actually taking the Pink Ranger prisoner and presenting her to Lord Gideon.

"Agreed," she smiled, quickly taking Izzy's hand. At that moment, the air rippled and the two Rangers could sense some sort of tingling magic vibrating about them.

"What the hell Izzy?" Joe cried in alarm, "Have you lost your mind?"

Izzy shook her head, "She's my cousin Joe. It doesn't matter the cost. I have to protect her."

"And how will you protect yourself?" the demoness smiled, "You still need an advocate."

That's when Izzy grabbed Joe's arm and pulled him beside her, "He's standing right here. Meet Mr. Joseph Hale."

Sinestra roared again in laughter as the Red Ranger hissed, "What are you doing Iz? I wish you would just stop and think for a minute before acting all the time!"

The Pink Ranger looked her friend hopefully, "You said you're studying to become a lawyer, right? Isn't this the perfect time to put that studying to use?"

"We're freshmen Iz! I'm not even close to applying to law school yet," Joe sighed. Turning to Sinestra, he pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, "But it's not like we have much of a choice here anyway."

The demon smiled again and waved an arm causing their surroundings to ripple and distort. In mere moments, Izzy and Joe found themselves in a pristine looking courtroom. Standing across the aisle was Sinestra, only her human guise had given way to more demonic features. Despite the sharper feral features, the sallow skin, and the small horns on her head, she still maintained her otherwise attractive appearance.

"Here we are then... a metaphysical court of law."

"Where is Carmen?" Izzy demanded but the demon waved a hand.

"Sleeping safely now in your dormitory room Pink Ranger. That was part of our terms."

Turning to Joe, Sinestra grinned, "As for you... if we are going to do battle against each other here, then you've got to be dressed for the part too."

As she waved her hand, the Red Ranger suddenly found himself wearing a sharp navy blue suit with a white collared shirt and a red necktie.

"Well, I'll give the demon a little credit," Joe quietly muttered to Izzy, "These are some nice looking threads."

"Shall I summon a judge and begin the bench trial now?' Sinestra asked expectantly.

Joe quickly shook his head, "No, I object! How can I be sure that your judge will be a fair and impartial one... especially if you're the one summoning him?

Sinestra crossed her arms in annoyance, "Well, what do you propose then?"

The Red Ranger thought for a long moment before saying carefully, "We may be dealing with Empyrian law... but Isabel Herrera is still an American citizen. Technically, we were on American soil, so I demand she be given a trial by jury. That is her right."

"Yeah! What he said!" Izzy added quickly.

Sinestra grinned in amusement, "Very well. I shall choose the judge and you may choose the jury."

The two Rangers watched as their opponent called another demon to the Judge's bench. He was an elder looking monster wearing a blood red robe, tall and gaunt with blackened skin and a stern face. "I present Master Geriyon, a servant to Lady Shemhazai."

As the demon judge cast his baleful red eyes on the two Rangers, Joe and Izzy swallowed hard as they looked to one another. Clearing his throat and swallowing his fear, the Red Ranger slowly stepped forward to speak, "If this case is based in Empyrian law, then it's only right that those who are familiar with it should be the jurors. There are no more living Empyrians... so this whole case has to be dismissed since there are no eligible jurors!"

Joe crossed his arms and gave a proud smile until Sinestra snapped a finger and 12 Cambion demons with humanoid features appeared in the jury box, "Not true Mr. Hale."

Joe felt his stomach drop as Sinestra fixed him with a triumphant smile, "You forget that the Cambion demons were once Empyrians before they fell... and they still technically are. You asked for twelve of them, and I have given them to you."

"Oh crap!" Joe gasped in horror as he realized he'd been outmaneuvered badly that time. From where he stood, the demon jurors glared back at him menacingly.

Izzy reached over and clutched her friend's sleeve as the judge pounded his gavel, "The time is now midnight. This case will be heard and decided by daybreak. Ms. Sinestra, you are being charged with enforcing a fraudulent contract. How do you plead?"

From across the aisle, Sinestra gave the judge a sweet smile, "Not Guilty, of course."

Turning to the Rangers, she then flashed a hungry feral grin, "So... shall we begin with the oral arguments?"

* * *

"Plaintiff, your first argument?" Judge Geriyon sighed with a bored voice.

The Red Ranger stepped forward nervously, trying to keep his racing mind focused and his voice level. He hadn't been given any time to prepare, much less read any kind of rule when it came to the laws of the angels and demons. Nor was he in any position to motion that this was in fact an unfair trial. Still, he had to think fast and try something.

"Members of the uh... jury, my first exhibit is the contract itself... or lack of it. Now, most official contracts are in written form, signed by one or more of the parties in ink... or blood... or whatever gross bodily fluids you demons work with."

"As far as we know, this contract was an oral one with only a handshake. American law says that handshake deals can be binding when there are witnesses. For Carmen Herrera, there were no witnesses, or any forms of physical evidence... no letters, receipts, or anything suggesting that a deal was even struck! Because this deal was made on American soil and Carmen Herrera is still subject to the laws of that land, then I say that the contract is null and void!"

Izzy gave an approving smile and patted his shoulder as Joe sat back down while the Judge made a dismissive roll of the eyes.

Across the way, Sinestra slowly rose with a calm smile to offer a rebuttal. "My esteemed human opponent is correct that there was no physical contract, or witnesses. He also makes a strong point about the nature of oral contracts, except he fails to realize one important thing. His argument is based in the laws of his land and not the laws that we former Empyrians are still subject to."

"Objection!" Izzy called out standing up, "You're uh... patronizing my attorney?"

Everyone stopped and glared at her in silence as she muttered, "What? I can't do that?"

Joe shook his head impatiently and pulled the Pink Ranger back into her seat, "No. Not helping Iz. This doesn't work like in the movies."

Clearing her throat, Sinestra continued, "The contract was made on American soil, but the actual terms of the deal uses the binding forces of Empyrian magic... one that was assumed by the cousin Isabel and witnessed prior to this trial. Am I correct Mr. Hale?"

Joe growled quietly, realizing the demon had beaten his argument and turned it back around on him again. With an indifferent judge and a hostile jury, he and Izzy were going to be in for a very long night.

* * *

As the night wore on, the Rangers found themselves constantly outmaneuvered and on the losing end of each argument. Had they been morphed and fighting with weapons, it would have been a one sided battle. For every figurative blow that they landed, they took three in return. In desperation, Joe finally called for a short recess so that they could calm down and regroup their thoughts.

Stepping outside the extra-dimensional courtroom, Izzy walked down a short hallway to find a row of wooden benches with a view looking outside. Outside the windows looked to be a big city skyline lit up at night, as if they were really at some fancy downtown highrise courthouse at night. Despite the dire situation, the scene was strangely calming and beautiful.

As she sat in the dim light, the Pink Ranger closed her eyes and tried to swallow the fear that was rising from her stomach. Her own family member had been threatened by that demon and she was protecting her, but maybe Joe had been partially right too. Maybe she had been a little too reckless and impulsive in defending Carmen. She had pulled her friend into a losing battle and now her own freedom was on the line with the hope of winning looking much dimmer than she originally thought.

All she could do now was reach into her pocket and pull out a miniature rosary that she always kept with her and begin saying a prayer quietly. As she did, she was surprised to hear Joe's quiet voice coming from behind saying the same prayer along with her. She glanced up as the Red Ranger took a seat on the bench beside her, "Wait. You know these prayers too?"

She stopped a moment and recalled his own heritage, "Of course, you probably do."

Joe shrugged trying to put on a positive face, "Don't sweat it. I'm sure even angelic Power Rangers need a little divine aid every once in a while."

"We're really screwed, aren't we?" the Pink Ranger sighed.

Joe grimaced and remained silent for a long moment, "I know it looks bad, but it's not over yet."

Izzy swallowed hard, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this Joe. This was all my fault. I shouldn't have rushed into this whole counter offer either. Now you're getting killed out there and..."

"Stop it," Joe said firmly, "Don't apologize Iz. You're a Power Ranger and you did what you had to do to protect your cousin. What's done is done. I'm your friend and I'm here to help you. I'm not going to give up on you, so you're not going to give up either, ok?"

The Pink Ranger sniffled and wiped a stray tear from her eye as Joe looked directly at her, "Listen Iz, you trusted me enough to represent you and put your life in my hands. I promise I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you or your cousin. We're going to win this."

Izzy gave a small nod and smiled back weakly as she leaned her head on his shoulder, "Thanks Joe... and I know you're going to make a great lawyer one day. I know you're lying to me right now... but I still believe you."

The Red Ranger gave a gentle smile and put a comforting arm around her before picking up the small rosary Izzy was holding. "We've still got a little bit of time. Let's say a few quick prayers for luck together, ok? We're going to need it."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **I figured I'd try something a little different and have a classic "deal with the devil" type plot. While our heroes have to use their smarts more on this one, don't worry, there's still some action in Part 2. Inspiration and some plot ideas have been adapted from "The Devil and Daniel Webster" so credit goes to Steven Benet's 1937 short story.**


	32. Trial By Fire

**Episode 16: Part 2**

After the Midnight Court had reconvened, Joe and Izzy sat in their seats listening as Ms. Sinestra made her closing arguments to the jury. While she did, the Pink Ranger leaned over and whispered quietly, "Look at that. Can you believe her?"

As she addressed the jury, Joe could see that Ms. Sinestra had hiked up her skirt, let down her hair and unbuttoned the top few buttons of her blouse. Whether or not the male demon jurors were actually paying attention to what she was saying, the Rangers could see that the majority of them were responding positively to her words now.

"If only we had more time," Izzy muttered, "I'd go even up the odds and put on a mini skirt and low cut blouse too."

The Red Ranger gulped for a moment and pushed that very distracting thought aside as he kept trying to listen to Sinestra's arguments. "I don't think sex appeal is going to do much good right now Iz," he replied quietly.

She gave a worried look to her friend, "There has to be a way Joe! There still has to be a way to turn things around, isn't there?"

The Red Ranger stopped and thought for a long moment. Turning things around? Maybe he was looking at things the wrong way. Instead of arguing a losing point, he should change the basis of Sinestra's position and reverse it on her instead. Grabbing Izzy's hand, he grinned, "Iz! You're a genius! I think I know how we can turn the entire premise of this case on its head... but it's going to be a long shot."

"It's a simple matter," Sinestra said in closing, "Carmen Herrera wanted something badly enough, and I gave her what she wanted. Thank you."

As she sat down, Joe gave Izzy's hand one last squeeze before he rose slowly and approached the jury. He took a long moment to study them and after a dramatic pause, he said, "Members of the jury, whether or not you rule in our favor, I have to admit that I sympathize with you. In a way, each of you were just like Carmen Herrera."

"Carmen had been in an unfair situation that life had given her. In her case, she wanted to be loved by someone and ultimately to be happy. She wanted to be happy so badly that she defied her bad situation and risked everything to change it... in this case, risking her soul's freedom."

He paced down the row of jurors, his voice growing louder and more confident as he went, "Carmen had been just like each of you who had rebelled against the unfair and tyrannical rule of the Empyrian race. Didn't you defy fate too? Didn't you fight? Bleed and face exile... all for the chance to be happy yourselves? Weren't each of you also tricked by the servants of Gideon and promised happiness if you took another, easier path to do it? Well, so did Carmen."

He paused and gave a thoughtful look, "I'm asking all of you to give Carmen another chance at the freedom and happiness that each of you had once aspired to. There is still time for her. The demons who had led you astray... like Ms. Sinestra here have cheapened that pursuit of happiness in hopes that it would enslave and corrupt others instead. One could never be happy enslaved as I'm sure you Cambion demons know all too well."

Looking over toward his opponent with a sly sidelong glance, Joe gestured over to lead the jury's gaze, "Ms. Sinestra claimed she gave Carmen what she wanted to be happy, and she did... in part. But she also ensured that Carmen could never be happy either. What kind of fair bargain is that?"

"So I ask this jury one last important question. How could any of you possibly be on the side of the Oppressor if Carmen Herrera is really a sister to your cause? I can only ask that you not punish your sister for her noble, if misinformed attempt at pursuing that worthy goal."

Both Izzy and Sinestra sat in stunned silence as the Red Ranger finished his speech and sat down with an exhausted look. Reaching over, Izzy took Joe's hand as the demon jury huddled together for several tense minutes discussing their decision. When they finally parted, everyone rose as the lead demon of the jury spoke, "Your Honor, we find the Defendant Ms. Sinestra... Guilty of fraud. We rule in favor of Mr. Hale and Miss Herrera."

"What?" Sinestra shrieked loudly in surprised outrage, "How can this be? How could you do this to me?"

Judge Geriyon slammed his gavel and said evenly, "The ruling is final. The contract and debts against Carmen Herrera are hereby lifted and nullified."

"We did it! We actually won!" the Pink Ranger cried in joy, "Joe you were amazing!"

Before he could reply, Izzy planted a big grateful kiss on his lips before throwing her arms around his neck with a happy laugh.

"Oh... it was nothing... really," Joe stammered deliriously as he hugged her back. He couldn't tell if he was more lightheaded from the sheer relief of victory, or that kiss just now... maybe a little bit of both.

* * *

As they let go of each other, the Rangers saw the air around them distort and ripple again until the courtroom faded away. Looking around, they found themselves back on the deserted campus walkway of their college where they had last been. To Joe's dismay, his great looking suit and tie were gone too, replaced by his original jeans and track jacket. By now, the skies had begun turning pink and red as the light of the dawn sun peeked over the horizon. The hands of the school clock tower now read 5:30 AM. Morning had finally come.

Standing across from them, Ms. Sinestra stood looking furious and haggard. As she turned her gaze toward Izzy and Joe, they could see her eyes were full of fire and hatred, "You! Both of you! You both cheated me out of my slave and made me look like a fool!"

"You didn't need any help doing that," Izzy retorted, "We won fair and square, so now it's time for you to beat it you skanky demon!"

Sinestra hissed in fury and took a threatening stance, "I have a better idea. How about I beat you instead?"

Joe glanced calmly to Izzy with a slow smile, "There's no more contract, so there's no reason for us to hold back anymore either. What do you say Iz?"

The Pink Ranger grinned and brandished her Keyrune, twirling it in her fingers, "Let's go for it!"

The demoness shielded her eyes for a moment as both Rangers raised their Keyrunes to the sky in unison, "Vanguard Ascend!"

In a brilliant flash of light, the morphed Red and Pink Rangers stood before her with their weapons drawn. As the demoness drew two hand sickles and advanced, the Pink Ranger pointed her rapier forward, "Let's throw the book at her!"

In a flash, the Red Ranger reacted first and locked his saber sword with the monster's blades. While Sinestra broke the lock and swung again, Joe focused on blocking and parrying each strike with his longer blade. As he did, Izzy maneuvered around him with her light graceful footwork. Each time the Red Ranger opened up a hole in the demon's guard, the Pink Ranger counter attacked and struck back with a thrust or a well placed slash.

Sinestra grunted in pain from the blows and gasped as the two Rangers blocked her next dual strike together. Turning her weapons aside at the same time, both Rangers sent her flying backwards with a coordinated double kick.

"All right Iz, let's wrap this up," Joe called igniting his sword and slashing the ground near the demon. Despite Sinestra's attempt to flee, the Red Ranger's slash blocked her avenue of escape and trapped her within a wall of red hot flames.

Using the momentary opening, Izzy rushed forward and waved her blade catching the demon in a powerful whirlwind. As Sinestra found herself lifted off the ground in the cyclone, the Pink Ranger rode the wind and came at her from several angles within the vortex, striking the enemy in a flurry of furious pink charged sword blows.

Finally, the winds and fires died down and the Pink Ranger landed gracefully as the demoness gave a final cry; exploding in midair raining bits of ash and brimstone down on the battlefield. Powering down, both exhausted Rangers turned and exchanged a smile in the morning light.

"I don't know about you, but that felt really good," the Pink Ranger grinned putting her Keyrune away.

"I'll feel better if we get back and make sure your cousin is safe," Joe nodded in relief putting his away too. "Come on. Let's go home."

* * *

By the time the two Rangers finally made it back to their dorm, the sun had risen and some of the early rising students were making their way downstairs for Saturday morning breakfast. The pleasant smell of eggs, maple sausages, and waffles wafted through the air as the two haggard looking friends shuffled into the lobby.

When they did, they were surprised to see Carmen come walking down the stairs rubbing her eyes.

"There you are Iz! When I woke up this morning, you were gone," Carmen said in relief hurrying over to give her cousin a hug, "Where have you been?"

"Wait! About last night... you don't remember?" the Pink Ranger asked in confusion letting Carmen go.

"Of course I do," Carmen frowned. "The three of us went bowling, had ice cream, and hung out at the Union. We came back here, you tucked me in, and when I was almost asleep, you walked out saying you'd be right back."

"Oh, um… that's right. I had to go back out... There was something important that I had to take care of last night... uh, something I forgot," Izzy answered tiredly.

Carmen turned to Joe with a curious glance and he gave an evasive look rubbing the back of his neck, "Right. I uh… had to come along too. Izzy uh... asked me to help her out... yeah."

After spending the whole night fighting demons in both the courtroom and the battlefield, he was too drained to come up with any more good excuses at this point.

Carmen scratched her head for a moment before slowly giving her cousin a sly grin, "Oh… I see what's going on here."

"You do?" Izzy asked nervously.

Carmen shrugged, "Listen, I know I'm kinda bummed about my own breakup and all, but if you wanted a little privacy with Joe, you should have just asked. You didn't have to go sneaking out all night if you wanted to go do it with your boyfriend."

"Wait… what?" Izzy said turning a slight shade of pink herself.

"Ok... you caught us Carmen... haha," Joe said quickly playing along while draping an arm around Izzy. Giving the Pink Ranger a kiss on the cheek, he yawned "And since that's out of the way now, I'm going back upstairs to sleep. It's been a long night, don't you think, sweetie?"

Carmen gave her cousin an amused look, then shrugged, "Are you sure? If you two were up for it, I was just going to get something to eat for breakfast."

"You know what? That sounds great," Izzy sighed, "I think I'll come with you."

"Nah, I'll pass. Your cousin really wore me out," the Red Ranger smirked as Izzy turned and slapped him in the arm.

"Get going Carmen. I'll be with you in a few minutes," Izzy said pointing her cousin toward the cafeteria to shoo her away.

As Carmen gave a sigh and walked off, Izzy turned back to Joe and gave him a pointed look with her hands on her hips.

"Oh come on. I couldn't help it," he laughed, "After all the trouble you put me through tonight, I think I'm allowed to give you a hard time too."

The Pink Ranger lowered her arms and her expression softened into a smile, "Well... I guess that's fair. I… thanks again Joe… for what you did for my cousin, and for standing up for me tonight."

"Don't mention it," he said modestly, "Besides, I couldn't have done it without you either. If you hadn't given me the idea of reversing Sinestra's argument, we'd both be in trouble."

"I did... didn't I?" Izzy smiled to herself.

"Just think about it," Joe said proudly while scratching his chin, "We'll have a hell of a story to tell the others tomorrow night, especially because I now have a perfect trial record of 1-0."

Izzy smiled and gave a slightly sheepish look, "Right. About telling the others… do you think you could leave a small part out of that story… the part about me kissing you in the courtroom earlier? I guess I just got a little caught up in the moment back there... you know, acting before thinking again? So, uh... I'm sorry about all that."

The Red Ranger smiled gently and laughed, "Relax Iz. As nice as it was, it never happened. And besides, it would be unethical for me to speak about it anyway."

Izzy gave a curious look before he smiled again and gave a knowing wink back, "We'll just chalk that detail up to attorney-client privilege."

The Pink Ranger gave a relieved laugh as she took his arm and dragged him back into the cafeteria with her, "You know, if I'm going to have to pretend to be your nagging girlfriend around Carmen for the rest of this weekend, then you're going to need to make up a real entertaining story to tell her over breakfast... I was thinking a story about our very romantic and extravagant first date."

Joe rolled his eyes gently and gave a reluctant groan but didn't argue. Waffles, maple syrup, and sausages did sound good right now, and he already had enough arguing for one night anyway. Besides… the client was always right.


	33. Ranger Blues

**Episode 17: Part 1**

"Not bad… for a girl," Nick Adler grunted as he continued to struggle against Kara's grip. The two Rangers sat at a table in the Mugshot café locked in an intense arm wrestling contest, unable to gain an advantage over the other.

"Really? I thought oxen were supposed to be strong," Kara taunted back as she strained against Nick's push.

"Don't listen to her big guy! You can do it!" Joe cheered from behind patting his best friend's shoulders.

On Kara's side, Claire watched intently pumping her fist in support, "Come on Kara! Teach those guys a lesson!"

While the others continued on with their little contest, Izzy sat on a couch nearby idly flipping through a fashion magazine. Spring semester final exams were coming up in a few weeks and she knew she should be studying. For today anyway, the Rangers decided to take a little break from the routine that had become strangely normal for them this year: eating, sleeping, doing homework, and fighting horrifying monsters.

At that moment, the café doors opened and the Blue Ranger walked in followed by two older well dressed people who looked like his parents. The two had the appearance of an Old Money family from the Northeast. Mr. Winthrope was a tall handsome man with brown hair and a dark blue suit and tie. Beside him was Mrs. Winthrope, a prim, well dressed woman with her blonde hair tied up neatly.

"So, this is where you like to spend your time?" Mrs. Winthrope asked with a slight frown, "It's nice… albeit a little pedestrian."

Danny rolled his eyes and sighed as he approached the others, "Don't worry about it Mom. Come on. Let me introduce you guys to the others."

The other Rangers at the table abruptly ended their arm wrestling contest with a sheepish look as they rose to meet their approaching friend. Danny gave a reluctant smile to the others before gesturing over to them, "Dad. Mom. Meet my friends."

"How do you do?" Mr. Withrope said politely shaking the others' hands as they were introduced. "Daniel has told us a little bit about you five and I'm glad he's been able to make some friends here."

The Rangers exchanged puzzled glances as Danny explained, "My folks were worried about me finding people I could relate with since I chose to go here for school instead of Waterford College."

"Waterford? That super elite school on the opposite end of the state?" Claire asked the others, "The one where tuition is three times as high as here?"

"We were only concerned about your happiness dear," Ms. Winthrope said gently to her son.

"Yes Mom, but I told you that Hyperion University has a better entrepreneur program," The Blue Ranger argued, "I'm not interested in high finance or stock trading."

"But remember Daniel, when you graduate, I'd like to get you involved more in the family trading business," Mr. Winthrope reminded him. "We want to make sure you're taking your future seriously after all. You've got to be responsible."

"I get it Dad, but you two are always thinking I'm never serious about anything," Danny grumbled, "Maybe I just want a chance to do my own thing and make my own decisions."

Mrs. Winthrope sighed, "Daniel, remember the other reason we came to visit. The dean of Waterford College will be here on business and we'd at least like you to meet with him."

"Wait! Are they talking about having you transfer schools Danny?" Izzy asked in a surprisingly worried tone.

"I think my parents would prefer that I would," he muttered in reply.

The other five rangers exchanged uncomfortable looks until Joe cleared his throat, "Umm… it was nice meeting you Mr. and Mrs. Winthrope, but the five of us should probably get going now. Final exams are coming up soon and we should get back to studying. What do you say guys?"

The others quickly mumbled in agreement hoping they could escape from the minor family argument erupting in front of them.

"Sorry everyone. You don't have to go," Danny said waving them off, "My parents will only be here for a few days and we were just stopping in to say hello."

"Daniel dear, don't slouch when you're talking," Mrs. Withrope chided him gently as she brushed some lint off the shoulder of his casual blue blazer, "And your coat is getting a little shabby too, don't you think?"

Turning his parents around and gently pushing them out the door, Danny gave a half hearted wave to the other Rangers, "Bye everyone. I'll talk to you guys later, ok?"

After the Blue Ranger had left, the others stood in a sort of confused silence.

"Well, they seemed nice… I guess," Nick shrugged trying hard to be positive.

"You don't think he's actually going to leave, do you?" Izzy asked chiming in.

Joe shook his head thoughtfully, "I doubt it, but it does explain some things about Danny."

"I know what you mean," Claire nodded in agreement, "Poor guy. And I thought my parents were kind of a pain."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the darkness of the Abyss, the demon counselor Shemhazai made her way to Archangel Gideon's throne before giving a reverent bow, "My Lord, the soothsayers of my legion bring news. They say that they've detected a great power stirring… one of Empyrian magic."

From his marble throne, the Lord of the Cambion demons gave a curious look, "Go on."

Shemhazai bowed again, "The visions are unclear, but they believe they've glimpsed the Lost City of the Ancients."

Gideon's eyes grew wide with interest, "Is it possible that the city had survived the Great Fall? After all, Eden had been torn apart completely."

"Yes my lord, but remember that throughout human history, they've told many myths involving lost cities as well. If that is in fact true, the place may have a great store of Empyrian knowledge and weapons."

"Then how do you intend to locate it?" Gideon asked raising an eyebrow.

Shemhazai grimaced, "I have asked General Abaddon to provide extra resources to narrow the search... and he graciously agreed. As we speak, he has a platoon of handlers preparing to loose the great sea serpent Leviathan… with your permission of course."

Gideon smiled in satisfaction, "Good. See to it Shemhazai. In the mean time, I will prevent the Rangers from interfering in your plans."

"My Lord?" Shemhazai asked in confusion.

"I have sent one of the legion's lieutenants to cause some havoc. Perhaps you remember Belphegor, the prince of Sloth? With any luck, his powers may neutralize the fighting spirit of the humans and leave us free to attack at will."

The demon counselor rose and gave one more supplicating gesture before departing the throne. She would have to speak with Abaddon quickly. If they wanted to redeem themselves, they would have to hurry and locate the Lost City before Belphegor could defeat the Rangers and steal their glory.

* * *

The next morning, all six Rangers filed into Professor Bishop's small lecture hall for their History class and found their professor already there. He was hunched over a desk with a messy stack of papers and gave them a distracted greeting as they approached.

"If you're still grading our last exams, you can take your time Professor," Nick smiled, "I'm not sure I want to see the grade on it just yet."

"No. I'm not grading papers," Bishop said with a sigh holding up some of his work, "I was actually going over some new translations of these Empyrian sigils in my free time. I've made some progress, but a lot of the passages are jumbled and only half decipherable. The only thing I could make sense of was something being sealed away in deep blue depths by the original holders of your Keyrunes. Whether it's something good or bad, I can't be sure yet."

As he spoke, he held the Cluestone from Remiel's pond, turning it over idly in his hand as if hoping it could give him some inspiration. Immediately Kara recognized it and stepped forward holding out a hand, "Professor, is that a stone from Master Remiel's pond?"

"It is," he answered handing the stone to her, "Your old teacher gave us this stone in hopes it would give us a few clues to the future. For one thing, it already predicted your coming."

Kara nodded and focused on the stone, seeming to activate its power with the magic of her own bloodline. The Rangers watched again as the stone projected an image of a strange city skyline shrouded in a rippling bluish haze.

When the image faded, the Rangers looked to one another before Kara gave a surprised murmur. "Strange. I didn't think it was possible."

"What isn't possible Kara?" Izzy asked cautiously.

The Gold Ranger fixed her with a solemn glance before turning to the others, "Whatever future is being predicted, the City of Atlantis will factor in."

"Wait a minute…" Danny balked, "Atlantis? As in the Lost City of ancient myth?"

"Perhaps it was a myth to you," Kara said handing the Cluestone back to Bishop, "But Atlantis was a home to many Empyrian angels and one of the major population centers on Eden. Perhaps it was possible that the city somehow survived The Fall."

Bishop pondered her words for a moment and looked back to his paperwork. "If we assume that to be true for a moment, then these texts could be referring to it. Atlantis was said to be a sunken city after all... the deep blue depths being the ocean?"

"I can only wonder what we'd find there," the Red Ranger added with a pensive look, "Can you imagine how much valuable knowledge could be recovered from a whole city?"

Before anyone else could speak, the Rangers heard the siren sound, warning the city of another monster attack. "I guess we'll have to wait a little bit longer. Looks like duty calls right now," Nick called waving the others out of the room.

"Umm.. Class dismissed," Bishop sighed to himself as he watched the Rangers hurry off before turning back to his work.

* * *

A crowd of terrified citizens from Hyperion Falls fled from the park around the city's Riverwalk while a pack of Magogs marched in order around a large insectoid looking demon. While they continued on their way, the demon commander Belphegor raised a bulbous scorpion claw to shield his eyes from the bright rays of the afternoon sun.

"Why did Lord Gideon send me during the daylight hours?" he grumbled irritably to himself, "He knows I can't stand the sun."

Seeing the other Magogs stop and pause to look at him a moment, the scorpion monster growled and shoved one of them forward, "Get moving! I don't want to go either, but Lord Gideon gave us direct orders!"

Before the demons could continue on their rampage a quick shadow passed over the river walk amid a gust of wind. Moments later, the 6 morphed Vanguard Rangers had descended and stood ready to confront their newest foe.

"Well, I gotta say... that is one big ugly bug," Danny commented to the others as they drew their short swords.

"I actually recognize him," Kara said quickly, "That's Belphegor, a lesser commander of the Legion."

Joe leveled his sword at the demons. "First we have to take out his bodyguards. Nick and Kara? You're with me. We'll clear a path through these Magogs. Danny, I want you to lead the first charge on that monster."

"Me?" the Blue Ranger asked in sudden surprise, "You really think I can do it?"

At that moment Belphegor waved his platoon of troops forward to charge the Rangers. "No time for questions preppy! Just do it!" Nick called, charging first with the Red and Gold Rangers to take on the incoming minions.

Claire and Izzy turned to Danny for direction as he watched the 3 other Rangers plow through the Magogs and open up a path toward the large slow moving scorpion looking demon. "All right then," the Blue Ranger said calling his spear and rushing forward, "Let's draw his attention. Hit him from two sides, I'll go for the kill!"

Drawing his Feather Stinger pistol, Danny squeezed off a volley of shots at the demon commander while Izzy and Claire split off to two sides setting up an attack. To Danny's surprise, Belphegor didn't try to block any of the shots and let them strike him. Moments later, the White and Pink Rangers struck from the left and right and again the demon didn't bother to block their sword blows. Although he staggered a bit, the demon's heavy exoskeleton seemed to bear the brunt of their blows. Belphegor raised his large scorpion claw arms to strike, but Claire and Izzy grabbed them and restrained the demon to keep his guard down.

"Danny! Now!" Claire called.

The Blue Ranger charged forward with his spear, aiming to thrust right into the demon's neck, but as he neared, all the Rangers were surprised when Belphegor suddenly reared a fearsome looking stinger tail from behind. Danny gasped as the demon lashed out at him with its stinger tail and he just barely raised his weapon to push aside the attack. Giving a growl, Belphegor whipped his tail back around and swept the Blue Ranger aside, knocking him to the ground, before raising his claws and swatting aside the two female Rangers trying to restrain him.

As Danny struggled to get back to his feet in a panic, he saw the demon turn on him again and strike with his tail. To his surprise, he saw the Red Ranger break free of the Magogs and leap in front of him while calling his Whitesteel armor. The stinger collided against Joe's silver shielding and the Red Ranger stumbled to one knee from the force of the blow while the rest of the tail went wide.

By now, the demon commander gave a tired groan and slowly began moving while retracting its tail for a new strike. Using the momentary opportunity, Nick raised his warhammer and charged forward to assist, smashing the monster right in the chest with a powerful hammer blow. Amid a shower of sparks and chitinous armor plates cracking off from the spot the Green Ranger injured it, Belphegor growled, "I'm too tired to deal with you Rangers right now. We'll continue this some other time."

"Count on it! We'll squash you like the bug you are!" Nick jeered as the demon evaporated into dark smoke and swept away from the battlefield. Turning back around, he looked to Danny, "Hey preppy, you ok?"

"Yeah. I'm fine," the Blue Ranger nodded in relief before he cast a concerned eye toward Joe. The Red Ranger was still on one knee and seeming to have trouble rising. Moments later, he demorphed and collapsed onto his side.

The other Rangers rushed over in concern to help as Danny was the first to his aid. He quickly propped his friend back up to a sitting position and supported his weight with a shoulder, "Hey! Joe! Are you ok?"

The Red Ranger gave a tired sounding groan, "I... don't know. I think the tip of that stinger found a gap in my armor... must have just nicked my shoulder. I just feel... really exhausted."

"Ok buddy, just hang on. We'll get you help." Nick said quickly hoisting his friend up in a fireman's carry. "Danny?"

The Blue Ranger nodded and gestured to the others, "Uh, right... everyone, let's get to Professor Bishop and see if he can help."

Izzy and Claire exchanged an uncertain look before the rest of the Rangers withdrew from the battlefield, suddenly looking a lot more worried and disorganized in spite of their temporary victory over the demons.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Instead of a trick, here's a little "treat" for any readers stuck home tonight. To anyone celebrating, have a safe and happy Halloween!**


	34. Hidden Depths

**Episode 17: Part 2**

"Do you feel any better now?" Kara asked as she powered down the healing magic from her Keyrune.

"Not really," Joe sighed as he lay in the guest room's bed of Professor Bishop's townhouse. All the Rangers gathered around in concern as their mentor stood behind them in deep thought.

"Well, at least it's good that Kara couldn't detect any poison or actual physical injury on you. Whatever that monster did, I'm guessing the effect must be magical in nature."

"You said you knew that demon?" Nick asked the Gold Ranger while putting another blanket over his friend.

Kara nodded, "Belphegor, the self proclaimed Prince of Sloth. All I know is that he was some mid ranking officer in the Cambion Legions."

"It sounds Biblical," Izzy chimed in, "Sloth was one of the Seven Deadly Sins."

Claire adjusted her glasses and folded her arms thoughtfully, "It makes sense then why that monster was so lazy in battle and why Joe feels so weak right now. That stinger must have some kind of effect that saps your strength or weakens your will to fight."

"Well, if it's like most other monsters we've encountered, if we destroy it... then hopefully we destroy the effects on the victims too," Bishop concluded, "In the mean time, I'll watch over Joe tonight so the rest of you go ahead and regroup. Let's just let him rest for now."

As the others began filing out of the room, Joe weakly reached out and caught Danny's sleeve, "Hold on a minute Danny. I need to ask you something."

The Blue Ranger stopped and sat back down beside his bedridden comrade while the Red Ranger continued, "Since I'm going to be stuck here for now, I'd like you to step up and take charge of the Rangers for me."

Danny gave a surprised look and turned his head with a conflicted frown, "I couldn't. You're our team's leader Joe. You already had me lead the attack earlier and now the whole team? Why are you doing this?"

"I'm not going to be much good to you guys here and the others will still need direction on the battlefield. I think you've got the right balance of strength and smarts to do it."

"But why me?" Danny insisted, "What makes you think the others wouldn't find it some big joke?"

"Why would they? Whenever people's lives were at stake, we've always been dead serious."

Joe paused and sighed again, "Listen Danny, I heard what your parents were saying when we met them. They want to have your whole life set for you and have it fit into their neat little plan, but you don't want that. You want to plot your own course. That's why you hate the idea of predestination and a fate you have no control over, isn't it? That's why you slack off and pretend to act so carefree about things, right?"

The Blue Ranger looked away and grimaced to himself, "How do you expect me to lead the team if the others don't think I'm serious enough in the first place?"

"You said it to your folks earlier. You can be responsible when you need to be. I think they've got you convinced you can't do it. That's why you need to be the one to do this Danny. How do you expect to inspire confidence in others of you don't believe in yourself first? That's something Professor Bishop helped teach me."

Danny looked to his friend for a moment with a serious expression before rising to his feet, "I should get going. I've got to get ready for an important meeting tomorrow. We'll get you back on your feet soon bud."

The Red Ranger helplessly watched as Danny left the room before shaking his head and putting his head back down on the pillow in dismay.

* * *

The next day, Danny made his way across campus to meet his parents for a luncheon at the school's administration building. They had arranged to join the dean of Waterford for brunch along with many other business people in hopes Danny could be convinced to transfer over. While he didn't really want to go, he still felt he had to humor his parents for lack of a better reason.

While he walked, he noticed that campus was a little quieter that Saturday morning. It was a bright warm spring day and he took a moment to stop by one of the school's fountains and examine his reflection in the water. He had dressed for a business casual lunch and adjusted his blue tie when he heard the voice of the Green Ranger come from behind him. "Looking pretty spiffy there man. You got a hot date or something?"

Danny turned and gave Nick a frown as he continued on his way, "Leave me alone Nick. I'm not in the mood to joke around right now."

Nick raised his hands in apology and continued to walk alongside Danny quietly until the Blue Ranger sighed, "I'm guessing you came to talk me out of transferring to Waterford? Well relax. I'm not going anywhere."

"That's a relief," Nick said calmly, "I'm sure Izzy will be relieved to hear that too. She was actually a little concerned the other day."

Danny cast a suspicious eye toward his friend, uncertain if he was joking or not. Before he could ask, Nick spoke again, "Besides, it would be pretty hard to be a Power Ranger team without a second in command, right?"

Danny stopped and turned on Nick, "Wait a second, you think I should take the lead right now too? You guys never seemed to take me seriously before... especially you."

"Because you haven't taken yourself seriously until now," Nick replied, "But we're both Rangers. I've fought alongside you and know what you're really like. I think the others would listen to you too. You just have to show them that you're sure of yourself first."

The Blue Ranger stopped and looked to the skies for a long moment before giving a giving a deep sigh, "Which begs the question... what am I doing here?"

Danny began loosening his necktie and unbuttoning his collar, "Why am I even going to this stupid lunch if I don't want to leave this school in the first place?"

Nick shrugged his shoulders and gave his friend a gentle smile, "You said you wanted to call your own shots in life right? Well, now's your chance to start doing it."

As he spoke, the city's monster siren went off. As the Green Ranger gave an expectant look, Danny reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out his phone. "Uh, Dan? What are you doing?"

The Blue Ranger held up his hand to silence Nick as he dialed a number and held his phone to his ear. "Calling my first shot... Hi, Dad? It's me. I'm not going to be joining you and Mom for lunch. Something came up."

As he continued to listen, Nick couldn't help but grin while Danny kept speaking, "I know the dean is there and I don't care. I'm not interested in transferring schools. I'm happy here and I can't leave because there's important work that I have to take care of here. I just need you to trust me on this."

He ended the call and turned back to the Green Ranger with a hint of his trademark swagger, "Well? What are we waiting for Nick? This city isn't going to save itself you know."

* * *

Amid the gibbering of the Magogs and the terrified cries of civilians, the heavyset demon Belphegor made his way slowly down the city's Riverwalk. "Don't rush me!" he growled to the advancing Magogs who were outpacing him while chasing down innocent pedestrians, "They won't have anywhere to hide!"

As he made his way down the river path while shielding his eyes from the sun, the demon left scores of civilians laying on the ground, helpless and immobilized after having been stung by its debilitating natural weapon. Giving another growl, Belphegor waved a claw at the Magogs, "Hey! Are you even listening to me? I said get back here!"

In an instant, a crackling bolt of lightning struck and incinerated the advancing foot solders. While the rest of the demons recoiled, they felt a strong wind gust blow over the riverfront and spotted five college students barring their path. Calming the winds with her Keyrune, Izzy turned to Danny who now stood at the forefront of the Rangers' formation. Mustering up his confidence and trying to maintain his cool, Danny called out "You're looking a little out of shape there you oversized roach. We didn't think you'd be back."

"Big words from a frail little human boy," the humanoid scorpion chortled raising his pincers in amusement. "Now get out of my way child, before you actually get hurt."

Danny glanced over to the Nick and saw the Green Ranger give a quick nod. Raising his Keyrune, Danny called a burst of water from the riverfront and directed the snaking stream into a hammering blow, sweeping several more Magogs away. "I won't ask again."

"You five aren't any ordinary humans," the demon exclaimed in surprise taking a step back. "You're..."

"That's right," the Blue Ranger smiled feeling himself growing more confident by the moment, "Everyone ready?"

All together, the five Rangers nodded to him and drew their Keyrunes, disappearing in a brilliant nimbus of colorful light. When they emerged, fully morphed Power Rangers stood in their place and drew their weapons as Danny prompted their roll call, "I'll tell you who you're messing with demon..."

 _"The Swirling Tempest, Vanguard Blue!_

 _"The Rumbling Mountain, Vanguard Green!"_

 _"The Stinging Blizzard, Vanguard White!"_

 _"The Dancing Whirlwind, Vanguard Pink!"_

 _"The Surging Thunderbolt, Vanguard Gold!"_

 _"The Light of the Past and the Hope of the Future! Power Rangers!"_ they chorused together amid the now brilliant light shining from the clear skies above.

Giving a confident twirl of his weapon, Danny leveled his spearhead toward the intimidated demons, "Vanguard, Take Flight!"

With a growl, Belphegor waved his remaining Magogs forward to block the surging attack of the Rangers while they summoned their own Whitesteel armor to protect them. As the Rangers battled their way through the Cambion foot soldiers, Danny hung back at the periphery of the battle, taking a moment to observe the demon commander for any weak points. He was already aware of the stinger and the weakened armor plating on the monster's chest, but he still needed a new way to get in close for a finishing strike.

"Hey Danny! You wanna give us a little hand over here?" Claire called twisting a Magog's arm and sending it spinning it away with a sideways kick. "It wouldn't kill you to pull your own weight in this battle."

Pulling one's own weight! That was it! The Blue Ranger had a brainstorm and rejoined the battle while lancing aside a stray minion. Seeing the others clear out the demon troops and regroup around him, Danny turned to the team, "Ok everyone. I have a plan. Belphegor is slow moving and heavy so he tires easily. We'll split up and use hit-and-run attacks to tire him out. When he does, I'll take a kill shot."

"Wow... that's actually a good idea," Izzy said sounding genuinely impressed but Nick cut her off.

"Sounds good preppy. Where do you need us?"

The Blue Ranger scanned the battlefield for a quick moment as the monster advanced, "Nick and Kara, keep him pinned down and play defense. Izzy and Claire, you two harass him from range until I get into position."

The Rangers broke formation and split up to engage the demon commander in battle. Working together, Kara drew away Belphegor's stinger attacks and dodged them easily with her lightning fast speed and reflexes. Meanwhile, Nick charged in close and began taking heavy swings with his hammer to keep the demon's heavy pincer claws occupied on defense. Each time they would lock down the demon in position, Izzy or Claire fired blasts from their Bow or Feather Stinger, striking the monster in the back and infuriating him more.

Soon enough, the monster began getting slower, sloppier, and more distracted, taking wide counter swings with his claws and tail that each of the Rangers dodged easily. As the demon took one more swing, it came face to face with the Blue Ranger who stood before the waterline to the river with his spear in hand. "Right where I want you."

"We'll just see about that Ranger!" Belphegor snarled lashing out with a violent strike from his tail. To the monster's complete surprise, Danny took a diving backflip into the waters to avoid the attack. The other Rangers paused a moment in surprise as the scorpion demon hobbled forward to examine what happened to the Blue Ranger. As it peered down into the waters, everyone gave a surprised gasp as the river began to bubble with activity for a moment and a powerful jet of water erupted sending the Blue Ranger soaring high into the air. A powerful wall of water came crashing down with him to back up his attack.

Giving a triumphant laugh, Danny spread his summoned wings wide and rode the forceful cascade of water that slammed into Belphegor, staggering the demon and sweeping aside the monster's guard and stinger. In one powerful charged strike, Danny brought the tip of his spear forward into a powerful thrust, smashing though Belphegor's cracked exoskeleton armor plates and impaling the demon clean through the chest.

"How do you like being stung for a change?" Danny growled, struggling to drive the weapon deeper as Belphegor continued to thrash against him violently.

Finally, the dying scorpion monster let up and collapsed to its knees turning its head up toward Danny, "You may have defeated me Ranger, but this is just a small part of Lord Gideon's plan. While we speak, he will find the Greater Powers and wipe you humans out for good."

"Wait! What are you talking about?" Danny cried but the demon commander laughed in his face and dissolved into a cloud of dark ash and brimstone.

Danny stood frozen in place for a moment before lowering his spear as the others came over cheering and patting his back. "Nicely done Daniel. That was an excellent combat maneuver," Kara nodded approvingly while Nick gave him a joyful fist bump.

"Nice move Danimal! Way to stick it to that monster!"

Turning to his side, the White Ranger slapped him five and grinned, "You know, I was a little worried for a moment, but you really stepped up today!"

"Oh wow... thanks everyone. You guys really think so?" Danny said in genuine surprise from the team's praise before sheepishly rubbing his own neck.

To his surprise, Izzy put a gentle hand on his shoulder and for a moment, Danny almost thought he could see her smiling brightly from behind her visor, "Of course. We're all really proud of you... at least I know I am."

The Blue Ranger stopped and looked at Izzy for a moment returning the smile while Nick and Claire exchanged a knowing shrug between each other. Unfortunately, the moment was broken as the Rangers heard the sounds of the injured civilians who were now beginning to recover from their stinger injuries.

Giving a sigh, Danny knew he was still the acting leader and turned to the others, "Ok everyone. The demon might be gone, but let's try to give some of these people a little help before the paramedics show up."

* * *

After a busy afternoon of helping the people Belphegor had injured, the Vanguard Rangers regrouped at Professor Bishop's home that evening to check up on their own Red Ranger. To their relief, they found him in better spirits, sitting up in bed and looking a little more energetic.

"Fortunately the monster had only injured a handful of people before we arrived," Nick told him, "But it looks like they're all going to make full recoveries. How are you feeling?"

"Better," Joe answered, "A little bit stronger, but I'm probably not going to be playing any flag football on the quad for a few days yet."

"Well, we're just glad you're going to be ok too," Claire smiled sitting down beside him on the bed and squeezing his hand.

As they began chatting quietly for a few minutes, Nick turned to Danny, "So, is everything going to be ok with your parents? I mean, you did blow off that meeting with Waterford's dean."

Danny shrugged, "They'll get over it... and I was telling the truth when I spoke to my Dad earlier. I never wanted to transfer in the first place and leave you guys. Besides, I'd be a pretty crummy Power Ranger if I did... so thanks for trusting in me earlier."

The Green Ranger gave a small grin and clapped Danny on the back, "Don't mention it preppy."

At that moment, Bishop poked his head inside the room and said, "It's getting late everyone. I think we could all use a little rest, don't you think?"

Claire and Nick said another goodbye to Joe and told him they'd come back tomorrow to visit again. After the others cleared out of the room, Danny stayed behind and looked to the Red Ranger.

"I guess I made the right decision after all," Joe smiled toward Danny, "I heard about how well you led in the team in battle, and I couldn't be prouder."

"Thanks," Danny said breaking out into a relieved laugh, "But I'll just be glad when you're back on your feet again. As great as leading the charge was, you can keep the job."

After sharing another laugh, Danny gave a thoughtful look and sat down at the side of the bed, "You know Joe, I kinda wanted to thank you for having me do this because it made me realize something. I had been spending a lot of time shying away from responsibility and thinking I couldn't do things... whether it was leading the Rangers in battle, or maybe taking charge of a future business situation when I graduate later on. I guess it's nice to know that I can do those things after all, and that I have good friends who will be on my side when I really need it."

Joe smiled and laughed softly shaking his head, "Don't thank me Danny. I really didn't do much. Like you said, this was something you did for yourself. All I did was just give you a little nudge in the right direction."

"Well... I still appreciate it bud," Danny grinned extending a hand. As the Red Ranger took his hand and shook it firmly, he said, "You know Danny, even if you still prefer not to sub in as team leader unless you have to, I'm sure you'll agree with me on one thing at least."

Danny gave a curious look as Joe laughed softly, "You've got to admit... being able to lead the roll call is cool as hell, isn't it?"

The Blue Ranger couldn't help but smile and break out into another genuine laugh himself, "Yeah... yeah it is."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **As much as I like comical Danny, I thought he deserved an episode to show he could still be reliable and badass when he needs to. Also, the next three episodes are going to be a mini arc centering on the search for Atlantis while leading us to the series mid point. Also featured will be a special villain submitted by _Ranger Red 2.0_ so thanks again my friend! And thanks as always to those who are reading and reviewing. I hope to see you all then!**


	35. A Working Vacation

**Episode 18: Part 1**

"Something tells me this is going to be an awesome summer vacation," Danny Winthrope grinned as he and his fellow Rangers stepped off the bus with their suitcases and looked around. On one side of the bright palm tree lined street was the hostel the six would be staying at. Across the way was a sandy boardwalk leading to the beaches where the deep blue waters of the Pacific Ocean glittered in the sunlight.

"Who would have thought we'd get to go on a trip to Santa Barbara through the school?" Izzy added excitedly as she removed her sunglasses and joined him in looking at the beach. "Professor Bishop really got us a sweet deal."

And she was right. While the Rangers had been taking their Spring Semester final exams, Bishop had done more research on locating Atlantis. Ironically, the Empyrian texts led him toward the legends of the mythical sunken continent of Lemuria in the Pacific Ocean, as well as a possible site in Southern California connected to it. After convincing the University to allot him some resources to do some research around there, Bishop offered the Rangers a chance to come along and assist as his paid summer interns. After one short plane trip, here they all were.

"Remember you two, we're actually getting paid so we do need to do some work while we're here," Joe pointed out as he passed by carrying his luggage. "As much as I hate to admit it."

"Now Joe, all work and no play will make us very dull Rangers," Nick reminded him with a laugh as he walked over and put a cheerful arm around each of his two guy friends, "And consider this… on our off days, we'll be hitting the beach with three beautiful girls of our own."

The Red and Blue Rangers stopped for a moment and considered Nick's words before the three boys quietly exchanged sly looks and conspiratorial laughs.

Not too far away, Kara watched them enter the hostel with the group's luggage while wearing a puzzled frown, "I wonder what's gotten into them all of a sudden," she commented to the White Ranger, "Were the other three just acting a little odd just now?"

Beside the Gold Ranger, Claire gave a gentle roll of the eyes while she applied some sunscreen lotion, "We're near a beach, so I wouldn't worry Kara. Knowing them, I think our boys are just being boys. Now come on, let's go give Bishop a call and let him know we arrived."

* * *

Far away from sunny California in the darkest reaches of the stormy Abyss, a warrior dressed in ancient Empyrian armor entered the large throne room of Lord Gideon and slowly approached the fallen Archangel. At the foot of the dias, the two generals Abaddon and Shemhazai stood inspecting their newest agent chosen to do their master's bidding. When the warrior neared, he lowered his head and bowed on one knee, "Lord Gideon, you summoned me?"

The Lord of the demons regarded him curiously and smiled, "Yes Jaral. I have a special assignment for you. Both of my Generals agreed you would be the best commander suited for the job based on your skills and your… unique background."

Jaral removed his helmet revealing a human face with long black hair and striking green eyes. He was also fairly handsome, except for a long ugly scar running down the side of his face. While he also wore the ancient armor of an Empyrian soldier, his skin had turned slightly discolored and his features had become harsher looking due to the long exposure of demonic influences. "What is it you will of me, my lord?"

Gideon gave the traitorous Empyrian warrior one more appraising look before answering, Our spies tell us the Rangers are seeking the City of Atlantis. We have reason to believe it is still intact and may be harboring the Greater Powers."

"Atlantis still exists?" Jaral gasped, looking up in surprise, "And the Greater Powers of the 5 heroes that sealed you away?"

A small scowl crossed Gideon's face at the memory of his defeat before he turned his eyes on his servant. "There existed several portals, or rather gates into city. While I have a force combing the ocean, I want you to search the coastlines and find any portal gates. Your bloodlines and knowledge of Empyrian artifacts will work best should you make any discovery."

"And if the Rangers get in the way?" Jaral asked.

Gideon smiled, "Eliminate them if you have to, but I warn you… one of your kind has already joined sides with them as well. Will that be a problem?"

"My allegiance is only to you Lord Gideon," Jaral answered as he rose to his feet and secured the flanged mace at his hip, "I will find your path to Atlantis and nothing will stand in my way."

* * *

The next morning after breakfast, Professor Bishop stopped by the hostel to meet with his Rangers and the six were treated to an unusual sight. Instead of the usual dressy blazer and necktie look their teacher was known for, he was dressed down to a plain t-shirt and khaki shorts. Although this was no surprise for Kara, the others looked on in amusement as Danny smiled from the table, "Morning Professor! We almost didn't recognize you."

"I could say the same to you too," Bishop chuckled grabbing a cup of coffee before he and the Rangers would head out to the piers for the day, "Traded in your blazer too for a polo shirt, huh?"

It was true, all the Rangers had dressed down to light casual summer clothes: Joe and Claire wearing plain red and white t-shirts, Izzy with a pink tank top, Nick in a green short sleeve button down and Kara in a yellow sundress.

"Well, where we're going, you're going to need those clothes because its pretty hot outside. Now, if you've all finished with breakfast, I thought we'd get going and start our search."

After breakfast, the Rangers followed Bishop and headed out past the bright boardwalk to a small harbor area with charter boats. Nearby were several supply stores along the pier and boaters making their way out to beat the morning rush of other ships.

"The site I want to explore is located on the Channel Islands just off the coast here," Bishop explained while they approached the boat he chartered, "I thought we'd get started early today and head out to Santa Rosa Island. I've already packed some supplies and figured we'd camp out there for a few days to do some work poking around for clues. Sound good?"

"Sounds great!" Claire exclaimed, "Maybe if we're lucky, we might see some whales along the way!"

"Now hold on a minute. How long is this boat ride going to take?" Nick asked, suddenly sounding apprehensive.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe a couple hours?" Bishop answered scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Why? You aren't afraid of water, are you?"

The Green Rangers shook his head, "Oh, I know how to swim Professor. I just don't do well on boats. I'd rather have something solid under my feet... you know?"

"You get seasick, don't you?" Joe concluded giving his friend a pointed look. Nick gave a sheepish mumble then shrugged as the Red Ranger patted his shoulder with a sigh and headed back toward the harbor stores, "We'll be back soon Professor. I'm going to pick up some Dramamine from the drugstore because I don't want Nick barfing all over us on the way there."

* * *

After a few hours and a relatively quiet ride from Santa Barbara, the small charter boat arrived at Santa Rosa Island around noontime and the Rangers unloaded their camping gear with Bishop. As they took in their new surroundings on the quiet island, they took a short hike up the sandy beaches and began setting up a base camp.

After finishing setting up the tents, Kara took in a deep breath and gave a serene smile at the beautiful coastline, "Isn't the smell of fresh ocean air wonderful?"

"If you say so," Nick muttered flopping down in the shade. He was still looking a little green in the face from the boat ride and needed a while to recover.

While he started preparing lunch, Bishop looked about the beach with a smile, "No point in continuing on today. I guess we can break for lunch and get started on our search tomorrow. The rest of you don't mind taking the day off, do you?"

The Blue Ranger gave a cheer and immediately stripped down to his swimming trunks hurrying off to dive into the water for a swim.

"Well, no objections from me either," Joe laughed in amusement as he watched Danny take off. With a calm smile, the Red Ranger pulled out a book he had brought along and lay down on the warm sand nearby to relax.

Spreading out her own beach towel, Izzy stripped down to her bikini and put on her sunglasses to lay out and sunbathe for a while. While the Pink Ranger lay out on her towel, Claire sat beside her, idly chatting for a bit while casting glances over to the other end of the campsite. Taking a moment to peek out from under her glasses, Izzy followed her friend's gaze toward the Red Ranger, who was peacefully reading his book while looking out toward the ocean.

"You should just go over there and talk to him," Izzy yawned turning her head back to the bright sunny sky.

The White Ranger turned in surprise, before giving a nervous shrug, "Oh, I don't know. I don't want to bother him. Besides, I already told you about what happened during Valentine's Day earlier this year. And it's probably best we don't rush anything."

Izzy laughed gently, "That doesn't mean you can't start laying the groundwork right now. Seriously Claire, it's adorable how you're still so shy about all this."

"Shy about what?" Danny asked as he quickly strode up and playfully looked down on Izzy dripping stray water droplets down on her face.

"Seriously Danny? You're getting me all wet. Can't you see I'm trying to sunbathe in peace here?"

"Yeah, about that that," Danny laughed dripping more water on her, "You're tan enough. I don't think you really need any more sun."

Izzy took off her sunglasses in growing annoyance, "Ok, last warning. If you don't step back, I'm going to hold you underwater until you stop breathing."

The Blue Ranger cast a sly grin over toward Claire for a moment. "Well come on then Iz. I'd love to see you try," Danny laughed reaching down and scooping up the surprised Pink Ranger in a princess carry

"Hey! Danny! Put me down!" Izzy began sputtering and squealing with laughter as he charged back into the surf to dunk her in the water. Claire smiled and laughed to herself as she watched the two fall into the water and start splashing each other furiously. To her surprise, she saw a shadow fall over her and she looked up into the smiling face of the Red Ranger.

"Hey!" Joe grinned gesturing to the towel she was sitting on, "Mind if I join you?"

Claire shook her head and scooted over still giving him a surprised look, "I… I thought you were busy reading."

"I was," he shrugged, "I came over to see what all the commotion was about."

He grinned and gestured over to Izzy, who had now climbed onto Danny's back while trying to force him back into the water. "Since your partner in crime is a little… preoccupied right now, I figured I'd keep you company instead."

"Oh… sure," Claire smiled enjoying the attention now. Reaching over, she gestured to the book in his hand, "Umm, what book were you reading?"

"Oh, well… promise not to laugh?" Joe asked sheepishly, "I've always loved fantasy novels and I was wanting to catch up on a little bit of fun summer reading. Hopefully you don't think I'm too nerdy now."

"Of course not," Claire smiled brightly, "I love those kinds of books too and I'm a self proclaimed nerd myself!"

From where he lay in the sand, Nick watched in amusement as Joe and Claire began an animated discussion about their favorite books while Danny and Izzy continued to wrestle and play in the surf. It was a wonderful sight and the only thing keeping him from still feeling sick at the moment. That was until Kara approached with some lunch that Bishop had packed.

"Nick, I've got some sandwiches. Do you like tuna salad?"

The Green Ranger took one look and smell of the sandwich before bolting for the nearest sand dune to empty his already weak stomach. As she watched in confusion, the Gold Ranger shrugged and took a bite of the sandwich, before sitting down herself, "Huh. I guess not."

* * *

The next day, the Rangers left their campsite and headed up a hiking trail from the beach toward the rocky uplands of the island. After a short trek, they came to a gently sloping ravine covered in grass and small trees. "Ok everyone," Bishop remarked as he pulled out his map and compass. "This looks like the place to start our search. Let's spread out and start taking a look around."

The six fanned out across the ravine to cover more ground and walked together in a line. "So, what exactly are we looking for?" Izzy asked aloud while they walked.

"We're looking for an Empyrian portal. It should look like some kind of large stylized archway."

"What would that be doing here?" Nick chimed in, "They didn't live here, did they?"

Bishop shook his head, "No. But if they did, it probably wasn't for very long."

Kara nodded her head, "According to some of the texts I helped translate, my people used those portals to escape from Atlantis and get to safety on the mainland. My guess is there are remains of an Atlantis gate buried around here.

"Seems strange doesn't it?" Claire remarked idly, "That with a name like Atlantis, it may actually be somewhere in the ocean opposite the Atlantic."

Bishop shrugged, "The legends of the lost continent of Lemuria bear some similarities with Eden. We can only assume Atlantis fell somewhere nearby the remains of the old continent too."

While they continued walking through the wide ravine, Joe kept an eye on their surroundings until he noticed some small rocks tumble down the slope of the gently rolling hill. He signaled his friends to stop and pointed to the falling stones that had now settled on the ground.

"What? Are you scared of some kind of avalanche?" Danny sniggered at his friend's paranoia.

"More like someone sneaking up on us," the Red Ranger hissed back urging Danny to be quiet.

"Maybe it was just an animal or something," Nick suggested quietly as he looked about casually.

Kara shook her head quickly, "No. Do you see any animals, or hear any birds?"

She was right. It had become unusually quiet and typically animals didn't often stick around when Cambion demons were nearby. That was one benefit of having those kind of natural instincts, Bishop thought to himself darkly. If there were demons nearby, most likely they were after the same thing. As that moment became more tense, he could only hope that whatever threat was present, that his six students would be able to drive it off.


	36. Enemy at the Gate

**Episode 18: Part 2**

Just as the Rangers paused again and held their breaths, several spinning bola weapons came flying at them from the sides of the ravine. With lightning speed, the Rangers tumbled or rolled out of the way from the flying projectiles, but Bishop was too slow and got his legs snared by two of the weapons. As the professor went tumbling face-first into the dirt, the Rangers whirled around when they heard a sardonic laugh come from atop a nearby boulder.

From their vantage point, the Vanguard Rangers saw a scarred young man with dark hair and green eyes wearing ornate silver steel armor. All around him, a pack of Magog demons sprung from their hiding paces with their own weapons ready to close the noose on their ambush. "Well... isn't this ironic. After all this time, we finally meet again Kara." said the warrior with the scarred face.

The Gold Ranger squinted a moment and gasped as slow recognition dawned on her face, "Jaral... is that really you?"

The Cambion field commander drew his mace and idly ran his fingers along the flanged edges in amusement, "In the flesh... or what's left of it."

"You know this guy?" Nick asked as he tensed and kept an eye on the Magogs encircling them.

Kara nodded slowly, "Jaral and I had been comrades back in Eden. He was a half blood just like me. We had trained together in the same group and learned to become warriors."

"We did," Jaral added with a smile, "but you're leaving out one important part. You were always better than I was. No matter what I did, I could never measure up to your abilities. We were supposed to be friends who stuck together against those pompous Empyrian commanders. But you kept sucking up to them to get a Keyrune and a posting."

"I had been trying to prove myself to them," Kara replied evenly, "You would have slowed me down then... and I'm sorry for having done that to you."

"It doesn't matter anymore Kara," Jaral sniffed, "I went and found power on my own. Lord Gideon and his Cambion armies gave me more opportunity and power than the Empyrian angels ever did."

Joe fixed Jaral with a hard look, "Let me guess, better to reign in hell than serve in heaven. One of those deals, right?"

The traitorous Empyrian warrior smiled, "Something like that. Now, I'm here to find the gate to Atlantis and secure it for Lord Gideon. You can either show me the way, or I kill all of you. What will it be?"

The Rangers exchanged glances before pulling out their Keyrunes together, "Vanguard Ascend!"

"Have it your way then," Jaral sighed waving his troops forward against the now morphed Rangers.

As a violent melee erupted in the ravine, Bishop struggled to free his legs from the tangled cords and ropes of the bolas. Nearby, Claire fought her way through the Magogs and pulled her Feather Stinger pistol while Danny engaged the Cambion commander first with his gladius. As the White Ranger fired her pistol, Jaral dodged the first volley and deflected the last shot back at her with his reflective steel mace. As Claire was thrown backward by her own shot, Jaral knocked Danny's weapon aside and sent him flying backward with a powerful blow too.

While the Blue Ranger rolled away, both Nick and Izzy attacked together with their weapons. Both stopped in surprise as they both landed a blow, but Jaral kept his balance and held his stance. The Cambion grabbed the Pink Ranger's wrist and shoved her hard into Nick throwing the two Rangers off balance for a moment. In that instant, Jaral called on some dark demon magic and blasted the two backward with a dark fireball at close range.

Seeing his friends get thrown aside, the Red Ranger cut his way through the last of the Magogs with his own saber and locked weapons against Jaral next. Both fighters clashed weapons and dodged each others blows until Joe outmaneuvered Jaral and slashed him twice across the torso. Grunting from the blows, Jaral used his demonic endurance to stay on his feet and turn the Red Ranger's weapon aside, slamming him in the side with two mace strikes in reply. Again, both fighters moved at the same time and kicked, sending each other falling backwards into an awkward roll.

As Jaral recovered to his feet, he turned as the Gold Ranger sprung over her own comrade and took her turn to attack. Jaral laughed as Kara attacked him furiously and landed several quick hits with her swords. Kara growled as she slashed Jaral again and sent him flying backwards hard into the dirt. "Nothing has changed Jaral. You cheated and joined the enemy, but I'm still better than you are."

Jaral continued to laugh gleefully, "You were always a better fighter Kara, but I was always a smarter one." He slammed his mace on the ground and kicked up a cloud of dark smoke and dirt which momentarily blinded the Gold Ranger and her friends.

When the dust cleared the 6 Rangers turned in alarm and spotted Jaral now standing over the struggling form of Professor Bishop. Despite his best efforts, Bishop gasped as Jaral clutched his neck in an armored vice grip. With a smirk, the Cambion commander raised his mace, "Not one step closer Rangers. If you do, I smash your teacher's skull open."

"Jaral! Let him go you bastard!" Kara tightened the grip on her swords and shifted her stance to spring, but the Red Ranger's hand quickly restrained her by the shoulder.

"Hold it Jaral! There's no need for that," Joe called lowering his sword, "We'll do what you want, just don't harm him."

Bishop grunted again and continued to feebly struggle against the warrior's grip while Jaral laughed, "You humans are too predictable. I had already stated my goal. Stand down and show me the way to Atlantis."

The six Rangers looked to each other for a moment quickly trying to figure out another way to diffuse the hostage situation, but Jaral tightened his grip on Bishop. "I will not be kept waiting Rangers."

To everyone's surprise, Kara was the first to sheathe her weapons and power down. She gave an expectant look to the others and they all reluctantly followed suit.

"That's better," Jaral smiled loosening his grip on the Professor slightly. With his other hand, he gestured further into the ravine, "Well then, shall we continue on our way?" The six Rangers began slowly walking deeper into the ravine, but not before each giving Jaral looks of pure hatred and disgust. The traitorous Empyrian laughed again and joined the Rangers along the dirt path making sure he kept his hostage out of his student's reach.

* * *

Having come down off the high of the battle, the Rangers walked on for some time keeping their eyes on the rock formations around them, as well as the demon walking with them. As they walked Bishop slowly reached into his pants pocket and removed a folded piece of paper.  
"What are you doing?" Jaral snarled jerking Bishop hard for a moment.

"Making sure we're going the right way," Bishop answered, "We have to check the clues that were translated."

Jaral grudgingly relented and let Bishop move a little more freely and check his notes.

"What do your notes say next Professor?" Claire asked hesitantly.

Bishop checked his paper and looked around thoughtfully, "We should be close. According to this, the Great Hand points directly at where the gate should be."

The Rangers checked their surroundings and found themselves around several unusual and random looking rock formations. "Maybe we have to use our imaginations and look for some rocks that look like fingers or something." Danny muttered.

Kara nodded and held her Keyrune out while pacing forward, "That makes some sense. If we are close, perhaps our own Keyrunes will resonate and help lead our way."

"All right everyone, let's spread out and keep our eyes peeled," Joe said gravely as he followed suit.

"Remember Rangers... do not try anything funny or the professor dies," Jaral threatened keeping a close eye on the 6 students.

As they walked about the site, Izzy came to a higher rock formation and gestured to the Green Ranger, "I'm going to try and get a better look. Can I get a boost up?"

Nick cupped his hands and braced himself as the Pink Ranger hopped off his hand hold and made an athletic jump up to the rocky shelf. Using her vantage point, Izzy scanned the surrounding area until her eyes caught sight of a formation of rocks that resembled a curled human hand with the forefinger raised forward at a low angle. "Everyone! Come quick! I think I found something!"

After regrouping with her friends, Izzy pointed the Rangers ahead toward the rock formation she had spotted in the distance. Very slowly, the group navigated through several narrow rocks and finally came to the stone hand with the outstretched finger. They turned their heads together and followed the direction of the pointing finger until they spotted what they were looking for. Tucked away and partially buried in another rock formation on an inclined path was what looked to be an arched structure.

As they neared, both Kara and Jaral couldn't help but recognize the familiar design and architecture of the archway. Even if time and weather had worn away some of the writing and more ornate motifs of the arch, this was in fact a portal gate that had been used by the Empyrian race.

"This is it," Kara said slowly, 'This must have been a gate that our ancestors used to escape from Atlantis."

"This would be fascinating technology... but how can we even be sure that Atlantis really is on the other side?" Claire asked with a curious voice, despite the hint of skepticism.

"We can't," the Gold Ranger answered bluntly as she turned to look at Jaral. "Now, we've found the Gate and brought you to it. Let Professor Bishop go."

"Not just yet," Jaral said running a gentle hand down one side of the arch, "We all want what's on the other side of this portal, so we'll cross over first... together."

"What are you talking about demon?" Nick growled impatiently.

Danny sighed, "For all we know, the city could be flooded or underwater Nick," Danny answered, "He wants to make sure that if he winds up drowning or stuck at the bottom of the ocean, then so do we."

"Precisely Blue Ranger," Jaral grinned as he drew on his Empyrian bloodline to activate the glyphs on the portal archway. The Rangers watched in awe as the ancient glyphs began to glow one by one until the empty center of the arch began to light up and ripple with bright radiant energy as time and space were temporarily bent to allow the portal space.

Jaral gave the others an expectant look but Joe held his Keyrune up firmly, "If we do this with you, we go morphed."

"As you wish," the Cambion shrugged as he allowed the Rangers to morph again, "Now... are you ready to cross over?"

The Rangers looked to each other nervously before giving a tentative nod. With a smile, Jaral pushed Bishop forward into the portal first and dove in after him. The 6 Rangers gave a startled cry of alarm at their enemy's sudden action and rushed directly into the portal themselves, more concerned for Bishop's safety at the moment than what might be on the other side.

* * *

As they crossed over into the bright light, the Rangers were dazed and disoriented before feeling themselves thrown forward by some sort of magical momentum. Stumbling forward, the 6 Rangers blinked their eyes and found themselves in a large atrium of a building. When they regained their senses, they spotted Jaral further up ahead having left Professor Bishop behind for them. Bishop was still on his knees looking around in shock and wonder at the sight before them.

All around them was the architecture of a large room that was both futuristic and beautifully antiquated at the same time. Gentle ambient blue lights glowed dimly from crystals, reflecting off beautiful vaulted ceilings made of glass that towered around them. Slowly, each of the Rangers removed their helmets and stared in wonder at the ancient city around them.

"Amazing..." Bishop murmured as both Joe and Izzy helped him rise to his feet, "Can this really be the lost city of Atlantis?"

Nearby, Kara stood in silence, staring out the glass at the rest of the city around her. After all this time... to see all this... one of her people's cities still preserved... it was almost like she was home, except a few thousand years too late.

Nick glanced over in concern and caught sight of the unusual display of emotion from the Gold Ranger, "Kara... are you ok?"

Kara's breath caught and she slowly wiped away the tears that had begun forming at her eyes. "Forgive me Nick... I just... need a moment."

The Green Ranger put an arm around her shoulder and squeezed gently with a comforting smile, "It's ok. I understand."

Up ahead, Izzy steadied Bishop before they continued any further, "Professor, are you sure you're ok?"

Bishop nodded, "I'm fine. But we're not going to have a lot of time. It seems Jaral knows about whatever it is that's buried here. We can't let him get a hold if it first."

Taking a deep breath to gather his courage, the Red Ranger turned toward the others and lit his Keyrune to light their way. "Ok Rangers, you heard Professor Bishop. Whatever it is that Gideon and Jaral are looking for here, we're going to stop them. But we need to be careful. Who knows what other dangers are lurking out there in the dark ruins of this city."


	37. City of the Ancients

**Episode 19: Part 1**

The flickering lights of Joe and Kara's Keyrunes lit the path as Professor Bishop and the Vanguard Rangers made their way from the building's atrium to a short passageway outside. As the 7 stepped out of the dark building, they looked about in wonder finding themselves in the center of the ancient city. Buildings made of ornate stone and crystalline glass towered over the wide boulevards that continued to be dimly lit by the reflective blue light crystals.

"How is this possible?" Joe murmured in awe, "I mean, how can we be breathing air here?"

The Gold Ranger tapped his shoulder and pointed upwards. Everyone looked to the heavens and saw a faint shimmering light that rippled and illuminated in the dark blue skies. "It seems the city had been warded with powerful magic," Kara explained as she observed the sight with a thoughtful look, "It looks like some sort of shield. I'm guessing that's what kept the city intact when it fell."

Claire swallowed a fearful lump in her throat, "If that's true, then that shield is the only thing keeping us from getting crushed and drowned by the ocean above us."

"Gee. That's a real comforting thought right now Claire," Danny sarcastically muttered as he nudged her slightly, "Thanks for sharing that."

"Still feeling seasick?" the Red Ranger asked turning to his own roommate with a grim smile.

Nick gave Joe a scowl and raised a fist in mild threat, "That's not funny man."

Bishop cleared his throat, "Everyone? Let's focus here. Jaral is out there doing God knows what right now. Kara, is there a place in the city where the Empyrian citizens would have stored valuable information? A Library, or a Treasury perhaps?"

Kara furrowed her brows in thought for a moment, "If Atlantis is designed like most of the other cities on Eden were, then there should be a Grand Temple not far from here. They often had great stores of records and artifacts in their vaults.

The other Rangers looked to one another and shrugged. It sounded reasonable enough. "Lead the way then sister," Izzy prompted falling in line behind the Gold Ranger and urging her forward.

* * *

While the Vanguard Rangers continued to walk down the wide city walkways, they couldn't help but think how alien and eerie this whole place was. Without any sort of wind, the hollow sounds of the Rangers' footfalls echoed in the air. Even more unsettling was how the dark city was so empty and lifeless, save for the remnants of the glowing light crystals and their Keyrunes. Despite the beautiful architecture and the impressive structures around them, the Rangers couldn't help but feel like they were in a perfectly preserved underwater tomb… and in some ways, they were.

After a short hike through the deserted streets, Kara led the others to a large building with marble steps and towering Corinthian columns on the façade. In the dark, it somewhat resembled a giant Byzantine cathedral like the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. "This must be it… the Grand Temple," the Gold Ranger said quietly as she led them up the steps. Once inside, the seven explorers walked a large gallery with polished floors, marble statues of great figures, and rich paintings along the walls.

"Amazing," Bishop said quietly as he looked about with excitement. For an ancient History professor, he was beside himself with curiosity and glee. He ambled over towards some of the tables with assorted artifacts, stoneware, small crafts, and jewelry. His students followed him as he looked over the items and turned to Kara with a hopeful expression.

The Gold Ranger simply shrugged, "Take them if you want Professor. It doesn't matter much to me, or the original people who left them here."

While Bishop began stuffing his backpack with as many unique artifacts as he could, Joe paced around the gallery getting a better look with his magical torch, "If this is a temple, then there must have been priests here. Is it possible they'd keep records or something about these Greater Powers that Jaral was after?"

Kara gave another pensive look and had the Rangers follow her deeper until they reached what looked to be a High Altar. As they gathered around, Bishop looked around the decorative stone slab for a moment, before locating a secret tab on the side.

"Hello, what have we here?" Nick asked curiously as he stooped over to get a better look, "Looks like some kind of secret switch. Think we should try opening it?"

"Are you really sure that's a good idea?" Izzy asked fearfully as she stepped slightly behind Danny, "We have no idea what could happen. For all we know it could be a trap."

Danny frowned slightly as the Pink Ranger cowered behind him, "So you're standing there to make sure I get killed first, huh?"

She slapped his arm back lightly, "Ever hear of the word chivalry, Danny? You know, protecting fair ladies from harm?"

The Red Ranger sighed and shook his head at the others for a moment before crossing his arms pensively, "Izzy has a point... I mean, we're already going all Raiders of the Lost Ark here. But then again, we don't have a lot of time or options either."

Bishop shrugged and pushed the tab in, "Well, here goes nothing then."

The Rangers watched curiously as the stone altar shifted slightly with a loud noise and a secret compartment opened up revealing several canisters with large thick scrolls inside. After waiting several long moments for anything else to happen, Professor Bishop reached into the open altar that had converted into a treasure chest and removed the canisters.

"Look at all this information," he exclaimed with a grin, "I think we just hit the jackpot!"

Claire looked about the empty temple impatiently, "That's great and all Professor, but do any of them have clues about what we're after here?"

The other Rangers stood guard and waited for several minutes while Kara quickly opened some of the scrolls and skimmed over the writing, seeing as how she was the only one who could quickly read the ancient script.

"Here it is! I found something!" The Gold Ranger finally exclaimed with unusual excitement in her voice. "This last scroll in the chronology was written by Commander Auriel himself."

Everyone stopped and glanced at Joe's Red Keyrune for a moment, recalling that the previous holder of it was perhaps Eden's greatest hero during the ancient days. Kara cleared her throat and continued, "According to this, Atlantis was the only city to remain intact after the Great War with the Cambion demons. A great magic seal was placed around the city and protected it when it fell into the ocean. After the last survivors of the Empyrian race had evacuated to the mainland, he and the other four heroes who had defeat Gideon returned here one last time."

"Why would they do that?" Danny asked curiously trying to peek over her shoulder.

Kara gave him a sharp elbow in mild annoyance, "That is where this scroll becomes vague. Auriel begins to speak at length of the fives' Greater Power, and the need for responsibility, and their legacy being protected should their human cousins ever become ready to inherit it."

"I guess that means us," Nick said idly looking at his own Keyrune, "Does that mean those five heroes stored away some kind of weapon that they used when they defeated Gideon before?"

Kara shrugged, "I can only guess. If that is indeed the case, then now is as good a time as any to reclaim those powers."

Claire chimed in curiously, "Does the scroll say anything about where Auriel and the others had put these powers?"

The Gold Ranger looked back to the scroll and studied it before nodding again, "If I'm reading this correctly, then we'll need to head to a plaza near the city's Treasury building."

After Bishop quickly collected the rest of the scrolls and stuffed them into his pack, the Rangers hurried from the temple and made their way back into the dark city streets to their destination. As they all jogged together, they could feel their pulses quicken in their chests. Whether it was from the excitement of discovery, the fear of Atlantis's ancient secrets, or the threat of possibly seeing Jaral again, the six heroes could not be certain.

* * *

After following Kara's directions, the 7 explorers found themselves in a wide plaza with a large building in front of them. Presumably, it was the city Treasury, and most likely empty at this point too. In the center of the plaza was a large pointed obelisk made of stone that towered high into the air. It was decorated with intricate sigils carved all around the structure. All around the obelisk were intricate grooves also carved into the ground circling the object.

"Well this is a bit unusual," the Blue Ranger commented as he began to pace around the edge of the plaza, "What do you make of all this?"

Nick sat back looking at the obelisk and scratching his chin thoughtfully, "Don't you guys think that everything here looks a little familiar somehow?"

As he did, the Green Ranger looked at his Keyrune again, then back to the plaza. That was when the realization slowly dawned on him, "Everyone! Look! Doesn't that obelisk sort of remind of a giant Keyrune?"

Everyone stopped and looked closely, realizing that Nick was on to something. The tower somewhat bore a resemblance to a Keyrune with its carved writing and the puzzle-like grooves in the street around it.

"Good call big guy!" Claire ginned giving him a happy pat on the arm, "Now if only we could figure out what it meant. I'll bet if we were able to find the right sigil combination, that will lead us to our next clue."

"Well, I think I know a place we could start," Bishop called as he walked carefully around the plaza. "Take a look at these five platforms at different points in the plaza. Do you notice how each has a different symbol carved into it?"

The Rangers observed the ground and saw their teacher was in fact correct.

"I recognize these symbols," Bishop said, "These five roughly translate to the elements of fire, water, earth, ice, and wind. Those are the elements you each possess so I'm thinking this part has something to do with you five."

Nick turned to the White Ranger and shrugged, "Well short stuff, I guess it's worth a try, right?"

With Bishop and Kara's directions, each of the five Rangers took their places on the five platforms and different spots in the plaza. Holding their Keyrunes up, they watched in wonder as their morphing artifacts resonated with the platforms and the obelist. Amid the glowing lights of the Keyrunes, the ground around the platforms began to shift and turn as if a giant underground puzzle was working itself out. At the center of the plaza, the obelisk turned gently with the shifting grooves on the ground, much like a key turning a colossal lock.

From their positions, the five Rangers and their allies watched in awe as the giant obelisk sunk into the ground and the grooves gave way to a large stone stairwell underground.

"Wow..." Joe said quietly as he led the others toward the stairs and lit the way, "That was actually pretty awesome."

"Uh, let's just hope that whatever treasure is down there is more awesome," Claire said hesitantly touching his arm and looking into the gloom below. The Red Ranger gave a reassuring nod and surprised her by taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.

"Come on everyone," he said to the others with an encouraging voice as he continued to walk forward still holding Claire's hand, "We're almost there."

While the seven made their way down the deep dark stairs to the secret lower levels of the city, Danny noted the Red and White Rangers up front with a grin before turning to Izzy, "Hey Iz, you're not feeling scared too, are you?"

The Pink Ranger sighed and jabbed him in the side, "The only thing that's creeping me out down here, is you."

When they reached the bottom of the passage, the Rangers' banter was silenced as they saw their path open up to a wider cavern that almost looked like the entrance to a grand underground vault. Again their Keyrunes resonated and the Rangers saw several torch stands ringing the cavern spring to life, bathing the wide room in dim flickering light. In the near distance, just ahead were two giant doors with some strange locks on them.

"Do you think that's where the original heroes sealed their powers?" Kara asked curiously.

"I'll be damned if that's not the vault," Bishop replied stepping forward to try and get a better look.

He froze as a familiar voice suddenly echoed from the stairs behind them, "That's far enough Rangers."

The seven turned to see the devilish grin of the Cambion warrior Jaral walking down the foot of the stairs. "I have to thank you for leading me to this vault. I really couldn't have done it without you."

"Jaral, we should have known you'd be lurking in the shadows like a cowardly snake," Kara growled.

Jaral gave a calm smirk, "Kara, I'm hurt. As much as I'd love to exchange pleasantries with you and your friends, I have a job to do."

"I thought your job was just to secure the Atlantis gate for Gideon," Nick called out with a suspicious frown.

"It was," Jaral laughed, "But why stop there? If I can claim the Greater Powers for myself, I could overthrow Gideon and be the undisputed master of the earth and the Abyss."

The Red Ranger leveled his Keyrune on the demon and growled, "Our ancestors left us their duty to protect their legacy. We're not going to let you take it without a fight. Rangers?"

The other five brandished their Keyrunes and stepped forward to confront their foe. Jaral shook his head and hefted his own mace as he strode forward, "Then so be it."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **If anyone has picked up on it, I'm a huge fan of the shows Stargate SG1 and Atlantis, so those two have been big influences in this series as well as this chapter in particular. Hope you're finding it interesting too.**


	38. Eden's Legacy

**Episode 19: Part 2**

Bishop stepped back as the Rangers morphed in unison, illuminating the cavern in their radiant light. With lightning speed, the 6 heroes drew their gladius short swords and fanned out while Jaral charged forward taking a wild swing with his mace. The traitorous warrior grunted as each Ranger took a turn charging at different angles trying to strike out at him. Despite being outnumbered, the Cambion fighter managed to dodge past their attacks or parry them aside.

As Kara attacked last and got shoulder checked aside, Jaral raised his mace to bring it down on his former friend in a counterattack. Before he could, Joe darted in from the side and slashed the demon's armored forearm with a well placed strike. While the Red and Gold Rangers leapt clear, Jaral growled and dropped his mace, clutching his wounded arm for a moment.

Seeing a sudden opportunity, Professor Bishop dove forward into a rolling somersault and swiped the mace from the ground, denying the disarmed demon his weapon. As Bishop recovered from his roll, Jaral growled in fury and lunged forward, kicking out at his newest foe. Bishop grunted in surprise as he was kicked in the side and fell over backwards.

"You insolent worm! What do you think you're doing?" Jaral snarled now looming over the professor.

Bishop gave a grim smile from the dirt and swung the mace back around as hard as he could, "Paying you back from earlier you bastard!"

A loud ringing sound echoed in the cavern as Bishop's desperate swing connected with Jaral's left kneecap. Despite being protected by armor, Jaral roared in pain as he heard a crunching sound and felt the force of the blow cause his leg to buckle slightly. Before he could stamp down on the defiant teacher, the Green Ranger dove forward and grappled the demon, shoving him aside.  
Giving another growl, Jaral freed himself from Nick's grasp only to be hammered in the face by a surprise punch from the White Ranger. Having called her Whitesteel armor, Claire brought her gauntlet and buckler around, delivering a punishing shield bash to the monster.

Before Jaral could register what hit him, Claire's punch was followed up by a combined flying kick from the Blue and Pink Rangers. Regrouping, the first five Vanguard Rangers drew their Feather Stinger pistols while Jaral struggled to rise. He had put up a good fight, but the Cambion warrior's head was reeling. He had been pummeled hard and now had a wounded arm and broken knee on top of that.

"This is your last chance Jaral," Kara called, "Stand down and surrender now!"

"Never!" Jaral spat pitching forward drunkenly and rearing back with his mace is if to hurl it.

"Rangers on three," Joe called leveling his pistol.

"Three!" the others immediately shouted in response as all five Rangers unloaded a merciless barrage of blaster fire on the demon warrior.

Jaral howled and dropped his weapon as his Empyrian steel armor buckled and smoked under the withering hail of blaster shots. In a heartbeat, the Rangers let up their fire and Kara dove forward landing a finishing blow with her own sword.

As Jaral crumpled to the ground wheezing, the Gold Ranger lowered her blade and turned her head toward him with a hint of pity. The other Rangers powered down and stood back while Kara removed her helmet and knelt down beside her former comrade. From where they stood, the contrast of the two warriors' features was striking: Jaral's dark hair, scarred face, and demonic features against Kara's golden hair and angelic beauty.

"You should have given up," Kara said quietly shaking her head with a remorseful look.

"What good what that have done?" Jaral wheezed turning his head aside, "We both know it was more practical to strike me down. I'm too far gone for redemption."

The Gold Ranger shook her head again, "Maybe so, but to completely turn your back on your Empyrian heritage and resent the Cambions you serve at the same time... to be that alone, I can't imagine what it must be like."

"You're probably doing me a favor then Kara," Jaral coughed weakly, "Ending my suffering and all."

Kara shrugged and put her hand over the ruined cuirass of her former friend and comrade, "It's all that I can do... but it does not make me any less sorry for having to do it."

As she said that, Jaral put his head back and his body gently dissipated into black wispy ash and embers.

The other Rangers and Professor Bishop waited in silence as Kara bowed her head a moment before rising to her feet. She turned her head back toward them and fixed her features into a determined look of steely resolve. "You came to claim the Greater Powers, Rangers. The way is now clear."

Bishop gave a slow nod and led the Rangers toward the great doors of the Vault making sure to put a comforting hand on Kara's shoulder first. As the seven reached the door, they looked upon it and saw intricate seals and sigils carved into the thick metallic doors. At the center of the portal were five empty locks. When the first five Vanguard Rangers approached, they began to feel their Keyrunes vibrate gently and glow with power.

"This must be it," Claire said in awe as she watched her Keyrune resonate with a gentle white light, "Our powers must have some connection to this place."

"They're looking to be restored to their full potential," Kara explained gesturing toward the door, "The powers are calling to them."

The Red Ranger took a deep breath and stepped forward gathering his courage, "We've got the Keys to the Kingdom right here everyone. This is what these things were made for, so let's use them."

* * *

The others nodded and the five Rangers each inserted their key into the locks of the door. The colored gems on the heads of the Keyrunes glowed again and the Rangers removed the artifacts from the locks as the doors made a loud grating sound and slowly parted to give them passage.

The seven stood in awe as the path opened up into a great chamber adorned with gold, crystalline glass, and white marble stone. Magic anti demon wards covered the room, glowing gently in the form of beautiful angelic sigils. The light of the wards illuminated the room and reflected off the gold and glass architecture, giving the place an unearthly feeling of peace and beauty. In the center of the room rising before the Rangers was a pedestal on a wide circular marble dias. Upon the pedestal was a golden sun motif and what looked to be a torch, burning with a bright steady light.

The seven approached hesitantly and stepped at the edge of the magnificent pedestal to get a better look. When they did, the torch intensified and a figure formed amid the flames. It was a faceless elemental being shaped like a human with two pairs of brilliant wings that radiated from its back. Upon its body was majestic resplendent armor: greaves, pauldrons, gauntlets, and a cuirass. The armor looked to be golden colored but had the luster and durable look of steel.

The Rangers stepped back a moment in fear as a booming voice echoed from the magical fires.  
"You who have entered this sacred place... step forward children of Eden and stand before those who would judge your worth."

"It can't be..." Kara murmured quietly to herself in wide eyed shock, "one of the Archons."

The flaming angel turned toward the Red Ranger, "I would speak with the one who wields my power."

Joe stood in fearful awe of the being before glancing down at the vibrant Keyrune in his hand. Swallowing hard, he stepped forward as the being addressed him.

"I am the avatar of Archangel Auriel, warrior of Eden and Commander of the Heavenly Host."

"I... I'm Joseph Hale... of Hyperion Falls, and uh, the Red Vanguard Power Ranger."

Auriel tilted his head slightly, "Power Ranger? Hmm... a curious name for a warrior. You come seeking my power, Joseph Hale?"

The Red Ranger glanced back toward his friends, who all looked just as intimidated, before he cleared his throat, "Yes. Our world is in danger from Archangel Gideon and his Cambion Legions. My friends and I have come seeking a way to defeat him."

"You young warriors have come a long way then," Auriel observed, "To have found this place and made it this far is impressive... but you cannot expect that we will just relinquish the legacy of the Empyrian race so easily."

"We?" Danny asked curiously from behind.

Auriel nodded and gestured around the large circular dias. From four sides of the circle on the cardinal directions of the emblazoned sun appeared four other glowing beings like Auriel. Each elemental being glowed with the other Rangers' corresponding color while bearing the same golden armor and four wings.

"My brothers and sisters," Auriel announced, "Fandaniel, Hashmael, Sandalaphon, and Ambriel."

Turning back to the Red Ranger, Auriel said, "We would have you shine the light of your Keyrunes. The reflection of your strength and character will tell us what we need to know."

The five Rangers exchanged an apprehensive look before nodding and following Auriel's instructions. From the background, Kara and Bishop watched as the chamber was lit brighter with the five colors while the five spirits of the ancient angels stood impassively observing.

When the light faded, Auriel nodded his head slowly, "You may yet be worthy Joseph Hale. There is Valor and a strong sense of Justice in your heart."

"Cunning and Sincerity within yours," Fandaniel spoke nodding toward the Blue Ranger.

"Strength and Loyalty," Hashmael added toward Nick.

"Intellect and Temperance," Sandalaphon noted gesturing to Claire.

"Compassion and Charity," Ambriel finished turning her head toward Izzy.

Nick cleared his throat and half raised his hand as if he were in class, "Uh... so, does this mean we passed?"

Auriel turned toward all the Rangers to address them, "We have deemed you worthy to inherit our powers, but while you have demonstrated admirable qualities, there is one virtue that must be developed over time... one virtue that is chief among the others. Wisdom."

The Rangers looked to one another as Auriel continued, "With great power comes a great duty to wield it for the good of others... especially those less powerful than you. That was the way of our people and that responsibility was meant to remind us to always exercise that sense of humility. Know that every element has a dual nature. It can bring benefits and life, or it can cause death and destruction."

Auriel gestured to the Red Ranger, "Fire brings light and warmth to others, but if it is not carefully controlled, it destroys everything it touches. Such is the way with each of your powers."

Looking toward the solemn faces of his friends, the Red Ranger nodded, "I think we understand Auriel. You have our word that we'll do our best to live up to that expectation."

The fiery avatar nodded his head, "Very well Rangers. Know that the powers we left you in your Keyrunes will be fully restored. You may have our strength, our armor, and unlimited flight."

"Very cool," Claire smiled quietly to the others, "I like the sound of that."

Auriel spread his fiery wings, "Our spirits join yours in battle against the demons, and upon you five rest the hopes and memories of our race. May the Light of the Past bring Hope to the Future."

The other four angelic avatar spread their wings and their auras intensified with light as well. At that moment, Kara took Bishop's arm and nodded gently as the two stepped aside and backed away from the dias. The five Vanguard Rangers stood in awe and wonder as the spirits of Eden's five champions hovered toward them and began to swirl about the dias in a maelstrom of elemental energy.

Both Bishop and the Gold Ranger raised their hands to shield their eyes from the intense light as they felt the air in the room blow and the resonating power cause their skin to tingle. In a brilliant golden flash of light, the surging power dissipated and the air in the room went calm.

When the two lowered their hands, they stood staring in wonder at the five Rangers who faced them from the dias. They were fully morphed and all five wore the ornate golden armor of the original heros. From their backs radiated two pairs of glowing ephemeral wings made of sacred energy. As they stood, the gentle light given off by the five angelic champions lit the room and added an exclamation point to their stunning transformation.

"This is unreal," Izzy finally remarked looking to her hands and admiring the new armor, "I feel even stronger than ever."

"I know what you mean Iz," the Green Ranger replied exhaling a long breath, "It's strange, but it's like I feel whole again... like I know exactly what I'm doing now."

"That's because the Archons are with us now. Auriel, Fandaniel, everyone," Joe said stepping down from the dias. As he nodded toward Bishop and Kara, he turned back toward the other four Rangers, "We've been given great power, but part of me can't help but feel that we're really going to need it... very soon."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Abyss, Gideon stood looking out the throne room window of the Dark Spire, staring into the swirling hellish maelstrom of chaotic energy in the realm. He did not react when he heard the chamber doors open and a lesser demon warrior entered. The Cambion warrior fell to his knee and bowed his head, "My Lord Gideon, I bring word from Earth. We've lost contact with Jaral. Neither he nor his raiding party have returned to report in."

Gideon remained at the window and did not turn around, "If that is the case, then we can only assume he's been lost in action."

"What of Leviathan?" the warrior asked hesitantly, "General Abaddon is prepared to loose the beast at your command."

Gideon remained silent for a moment, pondering the question. "Do it. Send the sea serpent against the humans' coastal cities. If the Rangers are searching for Atlantis, then Leviathan will draw them away and crush them."

"At the very least, the destruction and misery caused will tear the Abyss seal even further," the demon soldier noted.

Gideon turned to address the minion with a diabolical smile, "I am counting on it."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Alas, poor Jaral. Even if I had to kill him off, special shout out goes to Ranger Red 2.0 again for contributing such a great villain! Thank you my friend! Also, if any are curious, Auriel is an allusion to Archangel Michael, the figure from Judeo Christian lore who originally cast down the Devil. Otherwise, just sit tight. We've almost reached the end of the Atlantis arc.**


	39. Atlantean Counterattack

**Episode 20: Part 1**

Having backtracked their way through Atlantis, the Vanguard Rangers emerged from the portal gate and found themselves back on the island of Santa Rosa. After being ambushed by demons, discovering a lost city, and having their powers magnified, the Rangers and their teacher were exhausted. Even for Power Rangers, it had been a long day and the seven adventurers were glad to finally make it back to their original campsite on the beach as the sun began to set.

"I don't know about you guys, but this has been the most surreal day of my life," Danny sighed pulling out a sleeping mat and tiredly flopping down face-first.

"You do realize that we made the biggest historical find of the century, right?" Nick called as he unwrapped a granola bar and began to munch it hungrily.

"Too tired right now. Don't care," Claire agreed with the Blue Ranger reclining across from him and propping the back of her head on his lower back as if it were a pillow. At the moment, Danny didn't seem to mind the little sisterly behavior and simply yawned in reply.

As the three began to chat idly, Kara stood off to the side looking silently at the darkening skies across the waters.

"I'm sorry about Jaral," she heard Joe's voice say quietly as he walked over and stood a few paces behind her. He took an idle glance over toward the other Rangers for a moment and said, "I can't imagine what it must be like to lose an old friend… especially one who was of mixed blood just like you."

"Thank you," Kara said quietly without turning around, "But Jaral was right. I did him a favor by killing him. Being a tortured slave to the demons is no way to live and it only makes me more determined to exterminate them."

She took a deep breath and exhaled turning around slightly, "The rest of my race might already be gone, but I have a new family to protect now."

The Red Ranger smiled gently and gave a silent nod in reply. A few moments later, Izzy approached and touched Joe's arm.

"Professor Bishop is calling for our ferry boat to come tomorrow," the Pink Ranger said handing him a bottle of water, "I think we should all get some rest, don't you think?"

Joe nodded quietly and walked the two girls back to camp where Professor Bishop sighed and put down his radio with a worried frown.

"Uh, is everything ok Professor?" Izzy asked hesitantly.

"No Izzy, it's not," Bishop answered palming the radio in his hand. "I just spoke with our charter boat and they're not coming. All ships on the west coast have been told to stay in the harbor."

"What? Why?" Nick asked as he finished his food.

The other Rangers rose and gathered around with worried looks as Bishop continued, "There's been a report that a Navy destroyer ran into some trouble while out on patrol. The harbor master in Santa Barbara said the US destroyer had been sideswiped and damaged by some gigantic sea creature headed east towards California. Until the Navy and Coast Guard figure out what happened, all sea travel is suspended."

"Meaning we're stuck here," Claire reasoned with a frown. "But a giant sea creature? You don't think that thing is a Cambion monster, do you? I mean, an armored destroyer is not exactly a small ship, you know."

"Leviathan," Kara said aloud with a concerned look.

The others turned to her in confusion before she spoke again, "Leviathan was a giant sea serpent that caused tremendous death and destruction during the war with the demons. They said its breath could boil oceans and its scales were almost impenetrable."

Bishop nodded, "There's a similar figure to that in western religion too. Unfortunately, no one wrote how it could be killed or dealt with."

"We have a Megazord and our new powers from Atlantis," Danny offered helpfully, "At least we've got that working for us."

"Danny's right," Joe nodded crossing his arms in thought, "Whatever that thing is, it's going to be headed for the coastal cities so we've got to do something."

Kara grimaced, "I am in agreement, but what worries me more is what the presence of Leviathan means. If Gideon was able to send a powerful beast like that through into our world, then the seal of the Abyss must be growing dangerously weak."

"And it will only grow weaker if Leviathan gets to a city like San Francisco or San Diego," Izzy added.

"We won't let that happen," Joe answered as he pulled his Keyrune and summoned his red griffin zord from the sky. "Let's strike camp and get ready to fly back to the mainland."

The Rangers could only watch as the large Empyrian griffin descended from the heavens and touched down gently on the beach nearby. After loading up their gear, the griffin spread its wings and gave a shrill cry, taking off into the night sky with the seven people on its back hoping they could return to the mainland in time.

* * *

The next day, bright warm sunshine bathed the sands of San Francisco as surfers rode the waves and other beach goers enjoyed their day out. Despite the late morning sun and refreshing water, several people began to stop and look out over the horizon as a dark gray bank of thick fog rolled over the water. Several long minutes passed while the skies continued to darken and the waves began to churn roughly, causing surfers to paddle toward the shoreline and little children to retreat back to the boardwalk.

As several startled beach goers remained watching the freak weather occurrence, they began to scream in terror as dark figures began emerging from the shallows of the choppy water. An entire regiment of armed Magog soldiers slowly sloshed onto the beach as if reenacting some demonic version of World War 2's Normandy invasion. At their head of the invaders was General Abaddon, the high field commander of the Cambion Legions.

As the monstrous general emerged from the surf, and water ran down his dark jagged plate armor, he looked about the dark beach with a smile. It had been millennia since he had set foot in the mortal world… and it felt good. Glancing to the fleeing beach goers, Abaddon hefted his battleaxe forward with a growl, "Go now! Kill all the humans!"

Before a company of Magogs could respond, they stopped in surprise as a large geyser of glowing blue seawater erupted from behind and came down on the demons like a giant sledgehammer. While several of the mangled foot soldiers were washed away, a powerful pink tinted wind kicked up, throwing sand in the demons' faces to momentarily blind them.

When the sandstorm cleared, Abaddon looked up with a growl to see six young men and women barring the way. By now, the beach had cleared out leaving them as the only humans brave enough to stand in the presence of the fearsome invaders. From her place beside Joe in their formation, Kara glanced to the others in concern, "Be careful everyone, that is General Abaddon. I didn't think he'd actually be here."

The demon warlord chortled and rested his axe against his shoulder in amusement. "You must be the highly vaunted Vanguard Rangers," he called out, "To think, the Empyrian angels have pinned their hopes on a bunch of scrawny human children."

"Children who have defeated every single warrior you've sent," Nick called back defiantly, "And to be honest, you don't look any tougher!"

Abaddon roared with laughter before slamming his axe into the ground, startling the Magog's behind him. "A human speaking as arrogantly as one of the angels. I'll enjoy killing the six of you slowly."

As the warlord spoke, a deep bellowing roar was heard from across the deep waters of the ocean as the dark roiling fog moved closer to shore. "Perhaps I'll have to leave a little left for Leviathan after all," Abaddon snorted raising his axe.

"That's fine with us General. We don't have time to deal with you either," Joe called back twirling his Keyrune prompting the other Rangers to join him, "Everyone ready?"

"Vanguard Ascend!" came their unified cry as the six instantly morphed into their Ranger suits.

As they did, the Red Ranger held his glowing Keyrune out and traced the angelic sigil of Auriel in front of him, "Let's go all out Rangers!"

The other Rangers save for Kara followed suit and traced their own sigils causing the radiant power to engulf them and summon the armor of the Atlantean champions. As their bright wings spread from their brilliant armor, all five Rangers called their weapons to their hand while Abaddon stood in shock. "It can't be! What is this?"

The Red Ranger stepped forward with his weapon radiating an intense fiery aura as he led their modified roll call,

 _"The Celestial Flame, Vanguard Red!"_

 _"The Celestial Tide, Vanguard Blue!"_

 _"The Celestial Quake, Vanguard Green!"_

 _"The Celestial Snowfall, Vanguard White!"_

 _"The Celestial Gale, Vanguard Pink!"_

" _And the Surging Thunderbolt, Vanguard Gold!"_ Kara added joining in with them.

"The Light of the Past, and the Hope of the Future. Power Rangers!" the six chorused as the skies momentarily cleared and the battlefield lit up with the brilliant rays of the sun behind them.

The Red Ranger's saber sword glittered in the light as he raised it high then leveled it toward the blinded and intimidated demons, "Vanguard, Take Flight!"

Even the mighty General Abaddon hesitated for a moment as the 6 warriors took flight and surged forward with incredible speed, smashing into his line of troops. To his complete surprise, the demon warlord watched as the Rangers tore through the horde of Magogs, leaving residual streaks of colored elemental energy in the air as they did.

These were not the 6 frightened children he expected to face, he thought as a twinge of fear gripped his black heart. These Rangers in their golden armor moved with purpose and fought with such confidence and terrifying ferocity. For a brief moment, it was like he was witnessing Commander Auriel and his warriors all over again, laying low the demons and routing Gideon's armies.

Each of the Rangers moved like a blur and swooped through the ranks of enemies, striking away several at a time with their melee weapons. From the flank, Claire fired a shot of icy power from her bow that scattered into the air, then rained down on the last of the Magogs like large deadly icicles. As they planted into the ground, the Gold Ranger followed up the shot with a lightning bolt of her own that reflected among the icicles and incinerated the remaining troops.

Before he knew it, General Abaddon was left with only his personal bodyguards. Giving a growl, the warlord waved them forward furiously, "Destroy them!"

As the last of the demon troops charged, the Green Ranger stepped forward and raised his hammer to focus his powers. "Stand back everyone. Leave this to me."

The other Rangers held their position as Nick pounded the ground causing waves of jagged stalagmites to erupt from the earth burying and skewering the helpless demons. While the Magogs dispersed into ash and brimstone, the Rangers could see Leviathan's cloud nearing the shore with Abaddon still in their way.

"Get out of our way Abaddon! We have more important things to do than tangle with you right now!" the Red Ranger called igniting his saber toward the warlord. "Go tell Gideon your attack failed."

"I'll cut you Rangers down, so go tell him yourself!" Abaddon roared in fury charging forward.

Joe simply shook his head and gestured for the others to follow. In a powerful strike, the Red Ranger locked weapons with General Abaddon and the sand around them erupted in a violent cloud from the force of the weapons. With the strength of Auriel backing him, the Ranger struggled, but was able to stand his ground and push back against the demon.

"Is that all Ranger?" Abaddon snarled in contempt struggling to break their stalemate, "I'd give up now if I were you."

"And I'd duck if I were you," Joe answered letting go of their cross block just in time to dive to the ground. While Abaddon had been distracted, both Claire and Danny swooped toward the warlord's head carrying opposite ends of the Blue Ranger's spear.

Abaddon stumbled as he was hit in the face with a flying clothesline from the spear. Moments later, he felt himself be grabbed from behind by the Green Ranger and hefted up from the ground slightly, " Boy, not only are you ugly, but you're pretty heavy too. Not a good combination."

"Unhand me!" Abaddon roared as Nick took off into the sky grappling the warlord from behind in a wrestling hold. Once they were high enough, the Green Ranger let go and swooped away, "Have it your way."

As Abaddon plummeted back down toward the ground, he felt the air around him swirl while the Pink Ranger swooped about him creating another dizzying whirlwind. Having lost control of his fall in midair, the demon was buffeted about before he looked up to see Kara dive down on him from above in the eye of the tornado.

The Gold Ranger used the momentum of her dive and drove Abaddon into the ground with a kick before leaping away. While the General slowly rose and shook his head from the blow, he saw Leviathan's fog roll in and begin to touch the edge of the beach. It wouldn't be long now, but that moment cost him as he turned to see the first five Vanguard Rangers assembled behind their Radiant Arbalest, aiming it right at him.

"Fire!" they shouted in unison unloading a white hot bolt of energy at the General. Abaddon roared again as he was struck full on by the attack and thrown to his knees in a fiery explosion. The Rangers watched in surprise as the Cambion general rose again to his feet. His armor had been dented and scorched, but Abaddon regained his balance. He could certainly take a lot of punishment, but he staggered sideways looking slightly injured.

"I'll be ready for you next time Rangers," he growled, "If Leviathan doesn't finish you off first."

With that, the warlord took on a black gaseous form and retreated from the battlefield in a jet of dark smoke.

"We'll be waiting," Joe growled quietly before he felt the White Ranger tap his shoulder.

"Uh, is it just me, or has it suddenly gotten a little dark outside?"

The Rangers looked around the empty beach to see a thick gray fog roll in and obscure the waterfront ahead of them. As they did, Nick turned to Kara, "I don't suppose you know just how big this sea serpent is... do you?"

"Not a clue," Kara shrugged, but her own voice betrayed her nervousness.

Just then, the Rangers froze in terror as they heard another deep bellowing roar and saw the waves of the ocean kick up violently. To their horror, they witnessed the head of a giant gray serpentine dragon emerge from the foggy waters and rise high nto the air followed by its long neck.

"Holy crap," the Blue Ranger gasped in awe of the beast as Izzy fearfully grabbed his arm without thinking.

"I think we're going to need a new plan." Claire murmured turning in panic to Joe.

The Red Ranger watched as the great serpent Leviathan reared its head back and looked at the Rangers on the shore, "For starters, I think we're going to need a bigger Arbalest."


	40. Whale of a Tale

**Episode 20: Part 2**

All six Rangers immediately took flight as Leviathan thrashed and kicked up several large waves that smashed the beach and ruined some nearby shelters and lifeguard towers. As the Rangers darted around the sky in different directions, Danny called out, "Let's split up and try a counter attack!"

Leviathan turned on the Blue Ranger as he gripped his spear and stirred up a violent swirling waterspout from the ocean below. The massive twisting geyser smashed into the chin of the serpent, but seemed to do little damage. As the beast shook off the attack, it was struck again in the side of the head by several icy arrows from the White Ranger above.

The others hovered and watched for a moment as Leviathan reeled and shook off the ice patch that had begun to form on its head. Claire gasped and swooped away just in time as the serpent lashed out trying to swallow her whole in one bite. While she did, the Green Ranger dove in and landed on the back of the massive beast's head.

In a flash, Nick drew his warhammer and brought it down in several powerful blows that rang loudly, but could not damage the serpent's scales. As the Ranger shook from the recoil of his own hammer strikes, Leviathan angrily thrashed its head, trying to buck him off. Meanwhile, the waters churned below it and the monster's great tail lashed out along the beach, smashing more stands and ripping apart the boardwalk.

After waiting for an opportune moment, Nick leapt off the back of the serpent and took to the air again rejoining the others. To their shock, Leviathan's head tracked their movement and it sprung upwards in a spiraling motion. At the height of its jump, the sea serpent opened it's large maw and unleashed an intense flamethrower as it spiraled downward creating a hazardous twisting cloud of fire for the winged Rangers to dodge.

"There's no way we're going to beat that thing like this!" Izzy called fearfully, "We need to call the Megazord."

The Red Ranger gave a nod in her direction and prepared to summon his own zord, "All right. Let's do it. Kara! We'll need you to buy us a few moments!"

The Gold Ranger nodded in understanding and summoned a powerful thunderbolt from her Keyrune, aiming down at the ocean waters below them. Leviathan roared in fury as the crackling bolt of surging electricity spread across the water and momentarily shocked the serpent, allowing enough time for the Rangers to regroup and call their zords.

Soon enough, the zords had been called and the Vanguard Megazord assembled to stand against the giant demonic creature. Amid the tumult of the sand and water, the Megazord raised its manta ray shield just in time to ward off another intense jet of flames from the breath of the sea serpent. Nearby, Kara and the Pegasus zord galloped clear of the flames and circled around for a better angle to attack.

"Oh geez, a fire breathing snake that lives in the water is just not right," Danny called as the Megazord batted away a sweeping tail strike and counterattacked with its other fist. A loud ringing thud was heard as the Megazaord landed a punch to Leviathan's head, but the beast simply shook it off and began coiling up around the zord's arm.

To the Ranger's surprise, Leviathan bound the Megazord's arms and legs like a giant boa constrictor snake and began to squeeze it in a crushing attack.

"I can't move our legs!" the Green Ranger called with rising fear in his voice as the Megazord shook and shuddered.

"The arms are pinned too," Claire added from nearby as she scrambled to try and free them.

"Hang on Rangers!" Kara shouted directing her Pegasus forward into a charge against Leviathan.

The winged zord gave a great cry and raised its hooves slamming into the coiled body of the serpent, but to little effect. As Leviathan let up slightly to allow the Megazord to free its arms, the monster reared back its head, then swatted away the Gold Ranger's zord with a fierce headbutt.

Meanwhile, the Vanguard Megazord used its free arms to grapple the beast while it continued to squeeze and cause more damage.

"We're not going to be strong enough to break free," Danny grunted furiously working his controls.

"Even if we did, it won't matter. We can't penetrate those scales," Nick replied grimly as Leviathan reared its head back around to go for a bite attack. "If only we had another opening."

"Wait! That's it! An opening!" Claire cried excitedly as she had a brainstorm. "Look! Leviathan is opening its mouth and there's no armor down the throat."

"Claire! You're a genius," the Red Ranger cheered following up on her idea. "Everyone, we need to hold open that snake's mouth long enough for Kara to pitch a shot down its throat. Full power to the arms!"

The Megazord lurched as Leviathan sprung and had its jaws caught. "Kara, We could use a little lightning power right now!" Danny shouted over their com to their ally.

Kara hesitated and clenched her fist, "There's a danger I may hit you in the blast."

"There's no time," Izzy responded as the Megazord struggled to hold open the serpent's teeth, "We have to take that chance!"

Kara nodded and readied her zord, "Very well."

While the Pegasus waved its head and gathered a surging nimbus of electrical energy around its head, the Vanguard Megazord pivoted and turned its grasp of the beast directly toward their ally while keeping its toothy maw open.

Leviathan gave another furious roar and ignited its throat, preparing to spew another great cloud of fire when Kara's Pegasus zord unleashed a supercharged bolt of thunder directly into the snake's mouth.

A tremendous fiery explosion erupted around the beast's head, violently throwing the Vanguard Megazord backward into the water. As the Megazord rolled onto its side to recover, the Rangers could see the blazing cloud dissipate and reveal the scorched head of Leviathan. The titanic monster gave a feeble growl and struggled to keep its head up now revealing the damage done to it.

Large ugly burns spread out across Leviathan's mouth and face leaving blackened smoldering patches around the serpent's head. The beast moved listlessly and slowly withdrew back into the waters, retreating from the battlefield.

"We need to go after that thing and finish it off," Nick growled clutching his controls but Claire restrained his arm.

"No Nick. The Megazord is in no condition to keep fighting right now."

The Green Ranger nodded as Izzy jumped from her seat and gave her fellow female Ranger a congratulatory hug, "Way to go Claire! That was great thinking during the battle!"

From her Pegasus zord, Kara watched the wounded writhing form of Leviathan disappear back beneath the waves in retreat. "We didn't kill General Abaddon or Leviathan. This feels more like a draw to me."

As the Vanguard Megazord righted itself on its feet, Joe removed his helmet and leaned back in his seat giving an exhausted sigh of relief, "We turned away the Cambion assault and gave the demons a black eye today. That still counts as a win in my book."

Beside him, Danny looked over to where the other three Rangers were beginning to laugh amongst themselves and exchange high fives. "Do you think we should be heading back to Santa Barbara? I'm sure Professor Bishop will be worried about us."

The Red Ranger glanced over to the others and smiled for a moment as he watched the others laugh and banter in the combined cockpit.

"We've still got a long way to go yet before Gideon is beaten," the Blue Ranger noted in an unusual moment of quiet seriousness.

"I know," Joe answered giving his second in command a gentle nod, "But for today, let's just be happy with how far we've already come."

* * *

Back in Santa Barbara that evening, the Rangers stepped outside their hostel after dinner to meet with Professor Bishop and enjoy the rest of their vacation time. Going down the boardwalk strip, colorful lights were strewn from the poles above creating a beautiful path of colors leading past the restaurants and shops along the way.

As they stood around deciding on what to do, Nick stretched out and gave a sigh, "You know, I can't wait until we get back to school and have people ask us what we did over our summer break. Me? I helped discover a lost city, hung out with some archangels, and fought off a giant sea monster. No big deal, right?"

"Sounds awfully tame for a Power Ranger," Joe chuckled giving his roommate a gentle elbow in the side.

Izzy waved it off, "Tame or not, I need to blow off some steam. Is anyone up for hitting a good dance club around here?"

"Count me in," Danny said first with a confident wink, "But if you're going clubbing, you're going to need to accessorize Iz."

The others gave him confused looks until he removed a bangled bracelet made of turquoise stone and offered it to her.

"I… it's beautiful. Where did you get this?" the Pink Ranger sputtered in surprise.

Danny shrugged, "Oh, it's just a little souvenir from the Grand Temple in Atlantis."

"You stole a piece of Atlantean jewelry?" Claire frowned.

The Blue Ranger shook his head, "I didn't steal it! Kara said it was ok to take some of that stuff. Right Kara?"

The Gold Ranger sighed and crossed her arms, "That was direct more toward Professor Bishop. Don't push your luck any further Daniel."

"Well, I have to admit, I kinda like the color," Izzy said trying the bracelet on and admiring it thoughtfully. "Ok Danny. You can come along. Kara, how about you? You want to go clubbing?"

The Gold Ranger gave a serious nod and began walking off with the two down the strip, "Very well. I have been meaning to learn how to... get down, and... bust a move, as you say."

"Well good for him. That looks like progress to me," Nick smiled to the Red Ranger as he watched Danny walk off with the two girls and get jabbed sharply in the side by Kara over some comment made out of earshot.

"Of course, giving a girl jewelry always makes things a little easier too," Joe laughed in agreement.

"Speaking of souvenirs, I was wondering if anyone would like to take a walk with me and do a little window shopping tonight," Claire asked hooking her arm around Joe's while giving him a hopeful look.

The Red Ranger smiled and shrugged, "Sure. Why not? As long as it's not mentally or physically taxing tonight, I'll do whatever you guys want."

Nick rolled his eyes to himself with a smirk and cleared his throat, "Tell you what. I'll let you two go on ahead, so don't worry about me, ok?"

The White Ranger gave a gentle laugh and hooked her other arm around Nick's "Come on Nick. You can come too. We can stop for dessert on the way back. What do you say?"

"You had me at dessert," the Green Ranger grinned good naturedly as he walked down the opposite end of the boardwalk with Joe and Claire.

Bishop smiled and watched as his students dispersed to enjoy the rest of their evening and a well deserved summer vacation. As he stood on the street corner, he wondered for a moment what he would do to enjoy the evening when he heard a man's voice call out from behind.

"Excuse me, sir. Are you Mr. Gabriel Bishop? Professor of History at Hyperion University?"

Bishop turned in surprise to see a tall man not much older than him. He had short yellow brown hair and looked to have a strong athletic build underneath the reddish orange jacket that he wore.

"Yes. I am," Bishop said with a slight frown, "Do I know you, sir?"

The man in the red jacket shook his head with a gentle smile, "No, but the government does. I've been sent to contact you about your research involving the Cambion demons who have been attacking the region."

Bishop's eyes grew wide, "The government? What on earth do they want with me? And how do you know about the Cambion demons?"

The man in red raised a hand to calm him, "Trust me Professor, you're not in any trouble. They actually think your research might be helpful, and so do the people I work with."

"I'm sorry sir. I don't think you even gave me your name," the professor said hesitantly.

The man in red smiled again and handed Bishop his ID badge. Bishop examined it and slowly looked up with wide eyes.

The man took back his badge and extended a friendly hand to the professor, "It's nice to meet you Mr. Bishop. My name is Carter Grayson, the Red Lightspeed Ranger."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **That's right everyone. I just went there! It was only a matter of time before Lightspeed Rescue got involved, right? Otherwise, that ties up the first half of this series and I want to give a really big thank you to everyone who has been following and supporting Vanguard, especially the readers, reviewers, lurkers, and anyone who has contributed ideas or characters. I love you all for it and you help to make it all possible.  
**

 **I'm going to be taking a couple weeks off from writing, but I promise to update again soon and get the second half of the series started with a bang. See you all then and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!**

 _ ***Fun History fact for anyone interested:  
I had chosen the island of Santa Rosa, California as the site of the story's Atlantis Gate because it actually has a connection to ancient humans! The island is believed to have the earliest remains of humans in North America (Arlington Springs Man) dating back roughly 13,000 years ago to around the Ice Age. And who ever said reading fanfic couldn't be a little educational too, right? **_**;)** _ **  
**_


	41. Heatwave

**Vanguard 21: Part 1**

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone, welcome back! Before we start the second half of the series, I should probably just say again that I unfortunately don't own Power Rangers or any of its related intellectual property. Judd Lynn, if by some miracle you're actually reading this and want to produce my series, then give me a call! Just bring along a huge bag full of money and we'll do lunch… sound good?**

* * *

Warm summer sunshine glistened off the waters of Santa Barbara's coast as Professor Bishop and the Vanguard Rangers sat in the shade of a beachside café with their newest visitor.

"That sounds like quite a story," Carter Grayson smiled taking a drink of water from his glass as they finished lunch. From where he sat, the Red Lightspeed Ranger gave Kara a curious look, "And you're really one of these… Empyrian angels?"

The Gold Ranger gave a nod with her usual stoic expression, "On my father's side... but that is partially correct."

"Well... it's still great to finally meet you all," Carter said to everyone, "I didn't actually expect that Mr. Bishop would have a direct connection to a team of new Rangers, or that they would be his students either. I have to admit too, Vanguard is an interesting name."

Danny smiled and gave a shrug, "Well, vanguards are always the first part of an army to go into battle. Since our ancient ancestors were some of the first warriors to protect the Earth, the name seemed fitting. Izzy here was actually the one who came up with it."

"She's kind of our resident Power Rangers fangirl around here," Nick added helpfully as the Pink Ranger waved it off and began gushing again.

"It's such an honor to meet you Mr. Grayson! I mean, I know Dr. Tommy Oliver is one of the most famous Red Rangers, but you're definitely way up there too. I've read stories about how you and your team saved Mariner Bay when we were just little kids... oh, and some of my friends and I had a big crush on you when we were still in middle school."

The Blue Ranger rolled his eyes gently as Carter began to laugh good naturedly, "Well, thank you. I'm sure my wife Dana would be flattered to hear that I was in such high demand.

While Izzy and Claire continued to giggle between each other like giddy schoolgirls, Joe cleared his throat authoritatively before turning to Carter, "Like Izzy said, it's an honor to meet you Mr. Grayson…"

"Please, call me Carter."

Joe corrected himself, "Carter. We'll be happy to help you if we can, but I am a little worried about one thing…"

The Red Lightspeed Ranger nodded in understanding toward his younger counterpart, "Let me guess. You're worried I'm going to be revealing your names and personal information in my reports to Lightspeed, right?"

Carter put down his water glass gently with a reassuring look, "Don't worry. Technically, I should, but I'm not going to because we're fellow Power Rangers. Protecting each other's identities takes priority here."

"We appreciate it Carter," Bishop chimed in, "But you said there was a demon problem you needed my help dealing with?"

Carter's face hardened and he slowly leaned forward in his seat, beginning to show his serious and authoritative side. "Right. I've been sent here by Captain Bill Mitchell of Lightspeed Rescue because an artifact was stolen from Mariner Bay not too long ago."

Carter reached in a dark briefcase that he carried and removed a file full of documents and photos. He showed the Rangers a photo of an ornate circular disc with gear-like teeth and intricate writing carved upon it. The next few photos were enlarged pictures of stone tablets with writing on them.

"This disc had been recovered from the site of the demon tombs in Mariner Bay. It came along with several of these stone tablets that none of us were ever able to translate."

Bishop frowned, "Those may have been recovered from your demon tombs, but the Cambion are a different threat entirely... so they can't be connected, can they?"

Carter nodded his head, "Yes Gabe, some of us at Lightspeed including Captain Mitchell and myself think there may be a connection. Our own demons had been defeated completely, but the suspect who had stolen this metal disc was believed to have fiery demonic powers of their own... at least according to the museum security guards who were hurt trying to stop him."

"The time of the Cambion attacks that we've monitored fall roughly in sync with the theft of this artifact. We think the disc has some greater evil purpose and if we couldn't make sense of these glyphs on the tablets, then we hoped perhaps you would."

Bishop looked again at the photos and felt his pulse quicken a little, "This is definitely some variant of the writing used by the Empyrian and Cambion races. It'll take a little time, but I might be able to piece some things together."

"Whoah! How cool is that? We actually have a connection to the Lightspeed Rangers and their monsters," Nick said in awe.

The White Ranger raised a finger to him, "Let's not jump to any hasty conclusions yet Nick. We have to figure out what that artifact is first and what the demons may be up to."

"I agree with Claire," Joe said solemnly, "Gideon's forces might have taken a beating recently, but until we know more, we're just going to have to stay on high alert for any more signs of danger."

* * *

Elsewhere, Archangel Gideon sat in displeasure as General Abaddon limped back into the throne room of the Dark Spire. The torches there flickered with a sinister hue as Abaddon dropped to one knee in exhaustion before his lord.

"You return from battle empty handed General," Gideon said evenly. "The Great Seal between our worlds grows thin and yet I hear you suffer another great defeat at the hands of our enemies. You lose an entire regiment of troops, Leviathan is maimed, and the Rangers claim the Greater Powers of Atlantis."

"My Lord, forgive me," Abaddon begged, "There's no way I could have known the Rangers would even be wielding the Greater Powers. We were caught completely off guard."

Gideon growled while sitting on the throne, trying to restrain his rage.

"You were caught completely off guard because you're always rushing headlong into battle without thinking or planning first," Shemhazai said chastising Abaddon from nearby, "You must take your time."

"Time is not always a luxury to be wasted," Abaddon fired back at the demoness, "While you sit here and do nothing but plan, the Rangers keep getting stronger and stronger. Plans without action is meaningless."

The Counselor rankled at the General's retort and prepared to argue again when the three Cambion leaders heard a voice from the shadows, "My Lord Gideon. May I be of assistance to you?"

Gideon's two commanders stopped their fight and turned in surprise as a tall lanky demon with dark jagged skin made of obsidian approached from the shadows. The throne room guards shifted quickly into attack stances, but Gideon waved them off to let the visitor approach. The tall monster had high curled horns, darkened skin, and red glowing veins of magma glowing along his body. His eyes glowed like red embers as he stepped forward and bowed reverently, "Lord Gideon, I am at your service again."

"It's been a long time since I have seen or heard from you Skaard" Gideon began, "I would almost think you might still harbor some loyalty for your former queen Bansheera."

Skaard shook his head, "Of course not my lord. Remember that I pledged loyalty to you before you had her sealed away... before the great war in Eden."

"Not well enough it seemed," Gideon quipped remembering how it had been Queen Bansheera that had originally seduced him to the dark side and encouraged him to lead his rebellion against his own angelic brothers and sisters. While Bansheera's own race of demons had existed before the Cambion, a few of them like Skaard had defected over to the Cambion ranks before the war.

Gideon decided to humor the turncoat, "Tell me then Skaard, how do you plan to help advance my goals?"

Skaard smiled devilishly, "My lord, I can't help but notice that your ranks have thinned after the battles with these Vanguard Rangers. I possess a way to replenish those ranks and provide you with greater fighting strength."

Gideon looked on as Skaard presented the circular brass disc with gear teeth. "In my hand, I have a key to the Cistern Diabolus."

"Cistern Diabolus?" Abaddon echoed in confusion.

Shemhazai crossed her arms contemptuously and explained, "The Devil's Cistern. It's a lost structure that dates back to before the war in Eden. Queen Bansheera created it to harvest residual dark energy from her own slain demon warriors for use at a later time."

"Precisely," Skaard said to Shemhazai. "It would seem that Bansheera and all her followers had been vanquished years ago by the Lightspeed Rangers. Imagine how much residual power must have collected there… all waiting for someone else to use."

"You know where this Cistern is?" Gideon asked curiously.

Skaard shook his head, "Not quite, but I believe I am close to locating it. I think this project better serves your plan than anything your two commanders have done so far... so I ask for a another chance to roam free on earth to find the Cistern."

Abaddon and Shemhazai gritted their teeth and growled as Gideon took a moment to consider, before giving a nod, "Very well Skaard. Show me that I'm right to place the Legion's faith in you this time."

* * *

The next day Carter and Bishop sat on some benches by the boardwalks watching as the 6 Rangers enjoyed a day at the beach. It was a hot afternoon outside, but the water and the fresh sea breeze was refreshing to everyone near the surf. Carter couldn't help but smile and think of the beach days his own team of Rangers would have on their days off as he watched the three boys wrestle amongst each other or chase the girls through the shallow waters to try and dunk them in. The sound of their laughter amid the splashing waters made its way back across the sands to them... even that of the normally dour Kara.

"It seems a little strange, just sitting and not being to do anything right now," Carter observed, "It's relaxing, but frustrating at the same time."

From his spot on the bench, Bishop glanced over with a smile as he continued studying Carter's papers while going over translation notes from his own tablet, "I'm actually more surprised you're still running around as a Power Ranger and still being so enthusiastic."

"It's my job to save lives and protect others," Carter sighed thoughtfully. "I had been a firefighter before joining Lightspeed so I guess it's in my blood."

"Your wife Dana," Bishop prompted, "She was a Power Ranger too, right? She's ok with you still working for Lightspeed and going on these kinds of missions?"

Carter laughed gently, "That's where you and I differ Gabe. You at least have the freedom and choice to go out there with your Rangers to put your neck on the line if you want. Me? I've got a young son now. I think Dana wants me to settle down a little so that I can spend more time at home with the family and work a safer kind of job, you know?"

Bishop returned the laugh as he continued to work on his tablet, "Well I guess it's only fair that you Legendary Rangers step aside every once in a while to let the rest of us earn our stripes."

Just then, Carter's morpher beeped and he picked up a report of a monster wreaking havoc near downtown Santa Barbara. "I think your Rangers are about to get one such chance."

The Red Lightspeed Ranger rose quickly and signaled out toward the waters where the 6 Vanguard Rangers stopped what they were doing and grew serious, instinctively knowing that evil never took a vacation, whether they liked it or not.

* * *

Tall flames burned from several nearby storefronts as Skaard ambled down the street amid fleeing tourists and shoppers. While the quaint white stucco buildings crackled in a blaze, a handful of local police officers rushed forward and pointed their pistols at Skaard and his entourage of Magog foot soldiers.

"Freeze monster! That's far enough!" one officer yelled, obviously terrified.

"Freeze? You've got to be kidding me," Skaard maliciously laughed as he waved a hand to scatter the police with a jet of fire. The burst instantly melted their guns and scared the officers off.

As he watched the cops flee, Skaard turned to a few of the Magogs, "Now keep an eye out. The Cistern is buried in those foothills and from here, we should be able to see the Yawning Stones."

"You'd better look again," came the voice of the Red Vanguard Ranger, "The only thing you're going to see is a one way ticket back to the Abyss!"

Skaard turned in the direction of the intruder to see 6 young people and an older man standing with them. In the teens' hands were the Empyrian Keyrunes, "The Vanguard Rangers. We finally meet at last... but I count seven of you."

"They've got friends everywhere, and I just happen to be one of them," Carter called out boldly as he stepped forward and revealed his Lightspeed morpher. "You're the one who stole that artifact in Mariner Bay, aren't you?"

"A Lightspeed Ranger," Skaard grinned in delight, "This just got very interesting. I might just get a chance to avenge Queen Bansheera after all."

Izzy stopped in surprise and turned to the others in confusion, "Did he just say Bansheera?"

"We'll worry about that later," Carter said cutting her off and turning to Joe. "You're our pointman Joe. Lead the way."

The Red Vanguard Ranger stepped forward amid the flames in the burning streets and raised his Keyrune bravely, "Let's go for it everyone!"

 _"Vanguard Ascend!"_ the other Rangers answered as Carter readied his own morpher.

 _"Lightspeed Rescue!"_

In a brilliant flash all 7 morphed Rangers stood together to face down their newest foe. Skaard watched as the 6 Vanguard Rangers drew their gladius short swords in unison and took a ready stance.

The Red Lightspeed Ranger turned to the others and readied his own rescue baton to follow suit, "Is everyone ready?"

"We're right behind you Carter," Joe nodded rallying his team behind the veteran Ranger in their midst. Pointing his sword forward, the Red Vanguard Ranger called out as Carter led their charge, "Vanguard, take flight!"


	42. Pariah

**Episode 21: Part 2  
**

A fierce melee erupted on the streets of Santa Barbara as the Rangers clashed with the Cambion attackers. While the other Rangers fended off the Magogs around them, Carter plowed his way through, hacking the foot soldiers with his baton and deftly avoiding blows with a veteran's experience.

As he tumbled past a few more attacks and kicked aside another Magog, the Red Lightspeed Ranger twirled his baton in his hand and converted it into blaster mode. Without breaking stride, Carter opened fire and easily gunned down a handful of minions closest to him, but saw several more take their place and surround him again.

Before he could fire again, he glanced upward to see the Red Vanguard Ranger strike from above like a bird of prey covering the veteran. In an impressive display, the younger Ranger somersaulted through the enemies and cut through the squad of Magogs with his saber before sweeping the rest away with a ferocious flaming strike. As the fireblast subsided, both Red Rangers could see a path had been cleared to take on the demon Skaard.

"Nice moves there kiddo," Carter grinned giving his counterpart a quick clap on the shoulder, "Now, let's take out their leader."

Both Rangers charged forward together with Joe taking the lead and Carter readying his blaster right behind him.

"I'll need a clear shot!" Carter called.

"I'm on it," Joe answered bringing his blade around and clashing first with Skaard. The volcanic monster growled and began fending off the younger Ranger's agile blows. Once he was in position, Joe tumbled aside as Carter switched his blaster mode and let loose a powerful fire extinguishing burst from the nozzle of his pistol.

Skaard roared again and dropped his guard, momentarily weakened by the flame retardant as Joe followed up and landed a series of punishing sword blows on the monster. As Skaard was sent reeling backward from the last blow, both he and the Vanguard Ranger saw that the monster had dropped the artifact he had stolen on the ground.

Before the Red Ranger could react, Skaard flared up again and unleashed a powerful jet of flames from his magma encrusted hands.

Joe gasped and instantly called his Whitesteel armor to protect him as the attack struck his shield. As the demon fire was deflected away, it struck the nearby pavement causing more fires to erupt in the city streets. Despite the armor protecting him from any serious burns or damage, Joe was still violently thrown backward and stunned from the intense force of the close quarters blast.

As he scrambled to his knees and tried to regain his senses, the young Ranger scanned the battlefield and saw Carter had jumped in to cover him, busily doing battle with the monster. The Lightspeed Ranger had called his red V-lancer and pummeled the demon with a series of whirling counter attacks. Nearby, Joe spotted two Magog stragglers hurrying over to pick up the fallen artifact disc that Skaard had dropped.

"Retreat and get the key to safety!" Skaard shouted to the minions as Carter used his V-lancer as a grappling weapon and and restrained the monster in a momentary arm lock.

Recovering to his feet, Joe prepared to give chase when Carter spotted him and glanced around the battlefield for a moment. Gesturing over towards a nearby cargo truck that had overturned by an apartment building, the Red Lightspeed Ranger shouted, "Joe! Forget about the soldiers. Control those fires around the truck over there!"

The younger Ranger looked in confusion and didn't see anything unusual about the truck or the fires around it. Everyone on the streets had already evacuated and the vehicles left were empty. "But they're getting away with the artifact!" Joe protested.

"There's no time!" Carter called back forcefully, "Don't argue with me. Just do it!"

Joe growled and rushed over toward the truck with his Keyrune. Calling on its power, he caused the roaring fires to calm down and be held in check for a moment. Seeing the Blue and White Rangers finish off the enemies around them, he called out, "Danny? Claire? Can I get a little help over here?"

The two other Rangers stepped beside him and called on their own elements to extinguish the fires in the area with gentle magical waves of water and ice.

"This isn't over Ranger," Skaard growled breaking free of Carter's grip and retreating from the battlefield in a cloud of dark smoke.

Carter growled and shook his head toward the retreating demon before turning back to the regrouped Vanguard Rangers. By now, the remaining small fires on the streets were dying away.

"Carter, what happened back there?" Joe asked indignantly, "We let those demons get away with that artifact again!"

"Priorities," Carter replied calmly as he hefted his lance and pointed over toward the overturned truck. The others looked over to the open cargo hold of the truck where they could now see many large propane gas tanks that were being transported.

"Oh God," Izzy gasped in both shock and relief, "If you guys didn't put out the fires first, those tanks would have blown up the entire block."

"Or possibly kill a bunch of people in the nearby buildings," Nick added grimly.

Carter nodded in agreement, "It's always important to have situational awareness, especially when you're a Ranger."

While the others congratulated and praised Carter for his good save, Joe stood off to the side in embarrassment. He had been so sure of himself before but he read this situation completely wrong. If Carter hadn't been there to correct his mistake, who knows what damage and death would have resulted. He couldn't be sure if he was feeling more angry at himself, or embarrassed at his own failure in this battle.

The Red Lightspeed Ranger looked over toward the damaged city streets and turned back to the Rangers. "I think the rest of you should go on ahead and get back to Professor Bishop. I'll be along shortly."

As the citizens of the town began emerging from their hiding places, the Vanguard Rangers took off into the skies as Carter stayed behind for a few moments, surveying the remains of the fires and wondering what exactly those demons had been up to.

* * *

Later that evening, the Rangers regrouped back at the hotel Professor Bishop was staying at across town. As the dinner crowd thinned out, Carter and the teens entered the hotel dining room and took seats at a large table with the professor. He had laid out a large binder with his notes while he finished dinner.

"I heard about the battle earlier today, and I'm glad you're all ok," Bishop began, "I also think I made some progress on these tablet prints that Carter gave us. The writing was related to the Empyrian texts, but it was a strange variation, making translations a little spotty."

He pushed forward his notes so everyone could look, "It seems that the artifact that was stolen from Mariner Bay was part of some device or structure called the Cistern Diabolous, or The Devil's Cistern."

Carter nodded grimly, "During the battle, we heard the demon commander refer to the artifact as a key and that this was all somehow related to the demon Queen Bansheera."

"But Bansheera was supposed to be destroyed," Claire frowned in confusion toward Carter, "You and the Lightspeed Rangers saw to that a long time ago."

"She may be gone, but this part of her legacy survived," Bishop answered grimly, "It sounds like the Cistern was a device used to somehow collect dark energy of the dead."

"Sounds like a ticking time bomb full of evil mojo to me," Danny chimed in thoughtfully, "That must be what the demons are after. The question is, do we have any idea where this thing was hidden?"

Bishop furrowed his brow, "Not exactly. We know Bansheera kept it nearby, and that her home base was located in Mariner Bay. The writing makes mention of Yawning Stones so I'm guessing we should start looking for a landform around here that might match the description. Perhaps in the nearby Santa Ynez Mountains?"

After a long pause, Joe spoke, "The thing I'd like to know is if there's any direct connection between Bansheera and the rest of the Cambion Legions. Was she a part of them? Maybe an ally?"

"Bansheera and her own demons were a separate faction. They existed before the Cambion fell from grace, and were once allied to them before the great war," Kara said abruptly answering his question.

The Red Ranger turned to her in surprise, "You already knew something about Bansheera's history? Kara, why didn't you say something before?"

"No one asked," the Gold Ranger replied bluntly with a shrug.

Joe pinched the bridge of his nose in mild exasperation before giving a sigh, "All right. We'll have to assume then that this demon that stole the Cistern key must have been some ally or servant of Bansheera."

Danny nodded and scratched his chin, "Of course, there is one thing you haven't considered yet..."

Joe turned and gave a pointed look toward the team's second in command. The Red Ranger was still in a bit of a bad mood from earlier in the day and having another oversight being openly pointed out wasn't helping things either.

Danny cleared his throat hesitantly, "What do we do when we find the Cistern? I mean, it's probably like a big jar full of demon energy so we can't just smash it apart either, right?"

"That is in fact true," Kara cut in interrupting Joe, "But now that the five of you hold the Greater Powers, I believe a controlled effort of using Empyrian magic should be enough to neutralize the demonic energies."

"Thank you Kara," the Red Ranger said patiently while Claire tapped him on the shoulder.

"Remember, we've also got Carter here with us. I'll bet he'll know a lot more about dealing with Bansheera's dark magic too."

"Dually noted Claire," Joe said quietly clenching a fist in growing agitation, "For now, let's just focus on finding that rock formation right away before the other demons do."

Nick smiled in playful sarcasm toward his roommate, "Uh, take a look outside smart guy. It's too dark out to go searching. You wanna wait till the morning?"

To everyone's surprise, Joe abruptly rose from the table, his anger bubbling over, "Yes Nick, thank you for pointing that out to me! I didn't realize how obvious that was until now! Why don't you go lead the others off on that search then since I can't seem to do anything right today or realize things that are right in front of my face! Hell, I'd probably wind up walking right into that demon well anyway!"

While the other Rangers save for Kara sat with startled looks, the White Ranger reached out to stop him, but Joe brushed her hand away and furiously stormed away from the table. Izzy turned and gave Nick a reproachful frown but the Green Ranger raised his hands innocently, "Oh come on! I was just joking around. Seriously, what the heck has gotten into him?"

From his place at the table, Carter replayed the conversation over in his mind and thought back to earlier in the day. He slowly rose from the table and looked to the others, "Let me go to talk to him. I think I understand what this is about."

Bishop gave a curious look, "It's not anything serious, is it?"

Carter shook his head gently and began walking from the table to find the younger Ranger, "No, but I think this is the sort of thing that only a fellow Red Ranger would be able to understand."

The others exchanged confused looks and shrugged as Carter left, hoping the Lightspeed Ranger would be able to talk down his younger counterpart.

* * *

Meanwhile, Skaard regrouped with some of the surviving Magog troops from earlier. They met in the darkness of the foothills just outside Santa Barbara nearby a small stream. As two of the minions approached, Skaard growled, "You have it?"

One of the soldiers removed the disc key it had recovered from the battle and Skaard quickly swiped the artifact back. "Good. At least you two aren't completely worthless. Are the others ready?"

The second Magog nodded and pointed up toward some of the distant formations of the Santa Ynez mountains nearby. Skaard nodded again in satisfaction. "Good. We can begin working right away. I suppose we should consider it a small blessing that we can still see in the darkness and the humans can't."

The two soldiers shrugged as Skaard simply sighed and motioned them on irritably, "Come on then. We've wasted enough time here."

As he walked with the other Cambion troops through the dark forests toward the mountains, Skaard smirked to himself. The sooner he found the Cistern, the sooner he would be able to use it to restore some of the fighting strength of Bansheera's warriors and turn it against the Cambion Lord who had originally overthrown his beloved queen.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **It seems there's been a slight oversight. I forgot to thank _Kuro no Okami_ in the prior chapter for suggesting that some Legendary Rangers (like Carter) show up to help our heroes in this series. Apologies buddy, and thanks again!**


	43. Backdraft

**Episode 22: Part 1  
**

Early morning rays of sunlight sparkled off the waves of the Pacific Ocean as Joe Hale sat by himself on the empty beach watching the red disk begin to rise over the waters. He had just returned from a long morning jog to work off his frustration from the other day and sat resting in the sand feeling exhausted. As he closed his eyes and took another deep breath, he heard a voice call out from behind, "You look like you could use a little company."

The Red Ranger turned slowly to see Carter approaching down the sand dunes from the boardwalk. Joe exhaled and gave a tired nod as the older Ranger stepped forward and took a seat beside him in the sand.

"Everything ok?" Carter prompted him with a patient voice as they continued to look out at the sunrise.

"Nothing I can't handle," Joe answered digging his feet into the sand, "About yesterday night... I'm sorry you were around for the little outburst. That wasn't one of my better moments."

Carter smiled gently, "You're a Red Ranger and leader of your team. Believe me, I know what it's like to have a lot of pressure and responsibility placed on your shoulders. Sometimes you beat yourself up about things or let battles get to you. Trust me, I've had my share of blow ups back in Mariner Bay too."

"I find that kinda hard to believe," Joe muttered quietly, "You're a legend and you make it all look so easy... knowing exactly what to do and what to say at every time. I only wish I could be like that because if I can't... then lots of people might get killed. Like what almost happened yesterday."

Carter shook his head, "You're still a young Ranger Joe. I've made plenty of mistakes and bad calls myself. In fact, what happened yesterday reminded me of a very similar incident long ago. I was forced to put out some fires to stop an explosion, but a young boy was still badly hurt by a collapsing building. I felt so guilty at the time and didn't realize that if I had followed my first instinct, then he might not have even survived at all."

"That sounds awful," Joe commented taking in the story as Carter put a hand on his shoulder.

"During that event, my mentor Captain Mitchell taught me a valuable lesson about leading a team into battle. Sometimes the obvious choice will be the wrong choice. Whenever we react, or use our weapons, we always have to be aware of our surroundings and use this first."

Carter pointed to his head and fixed the younger Ranger with a solemn expression.

Joe nodded quietly and took in the Lightspeed Ranger's wisdom, "Thanks Carter... I think I understand now."

Carter smiled and gently clapped his younger counterpart on the shoulder, "Don't worry. You'll make mistakes sometimes, but I can see you've got a good team behind you. I know they'll back you up, and so will I."

Both Red Rangers exchanged a smile as Joe rose to his feet and brushed the sand off, "You know, that's a really good piece of advice Carter. Your father in law sounds very wise."

"He is," Carter sighed standing up, "To be honest, I think my wife Dana is the one with all the common sense. I'm just teaching you what I already learned from them."

"Well don't worry," Joe said gently in reply, "There is one thing I think you can still teach me... how to handle a blaster like a cowboy gunslinger."

"I think that can be arranged," Carter chuckled thoughtfully as he led them back toward the boardwalk, "But first things first. The others will be waking up soon and we've still got a busy day of searching ahead of us."

* * *

Later that day, the demon Skaard and his small company of Cambion soldiers made their way deeper into the Santa Ynez mountains. It was a warm arid region and while demons had little need for nourishment or sleep, they stopped a moment to take in their surroundings. All about the hiking trail were dusty rocky outcroppings save for a large stone formation that almost resembled a wide open mouth.

As the demons stepped into the cave mouth to escape the hot glare of the sun, Skaard turned to one of the Magogs, "You're certain that this is the right cave?"

The leading Magog of the company nodded and made a gibbering noise while pointing deeper inside. Skaard growled and shoved the Magog forward. "Take point on this. If Bansheera's other servants left traps or guards, then I won't be the one suffering for it."

The small demon party made its way into the dark cave following a passageway that became wider and deeper the further underground they went. After passing several winding passageways they came upon a large cavern with a yawning opening in the ceiling. The Cambions looked about carefully for a few moments before they heard the sound of many wings. To their surprise, a small host of demons with wings and stony skin dropped down from the opening the challenge them.

"Batling-gargoyle hybrids," Skaard observed flaring up his fists at the approaching monsters.

While the other Magogs cowered, Skaard met the charge of the stony batlings and knocked a handful of them aside with ease. As the batlings regrouped, their leader swooped forward. Skaard continued to look on in disdain as the largest and most fearsome of the cavern guards took a flying leap and tried to smash the intruder. In one swift motion, the Cambion commander sidestepped the attack and deflected the blow aside. Bringing around his other fiery fist, Skaard smashed the gargoyle warrior in the head with a punch that shattered the warrior in a cloud of flame.

Both the Magogs and the batlings stopped and cowered for a moment acknowledging their new leader after his display of force. Skaard sniffed and waved toward the batlings, "You lot! I want you to let us pass. Stand guard here for any other intruders!"

The batlings looked to each other for a moment and nodded, stepping aside for the Cambion raiders. Turning back to his own party, Skaard gestured for them to follow, "Come on. If there are demon sentries here, then we must be getting close. Let's get a move on!"

* * *

Some time later, the Rangers made their way into the rocky passes of the Santa Ynez Mountains to scout out the area for themselves. While Nick and Danny hiked up a trail with Carter, the other Rangers soared ahead and did wide sweeping passes in the air, scanning the countryside for any unusual rock formations or activities.

When they finally regrouped, and the others powered down, Kara was the first to speak. "There is a small foothill, probably no more than a mile or two from here. I spotted some Magogs standing guard near the mouth of a cave."

"And where there are Magogs, there's trouble not far away," Danny concluded with a grin.

"Do you think it's possible for us to get the jump on them?" Joe asked, "If we can take out the sentries without alerting the others, we might be able to go on the offensive inside the caves."

The Gold Ranger nodded, "I believe so. There are some outcroppings on the other side of the ridge. We might be able to shoot them from range without them even knowing."

"Leave that to me," Claire said with a wink, "I could use a little target practice."

The White Ranger was indeed right. After taking out the two Magog sentries with ice arrows, the 7 Rangers made their way to the mouth of the cave and entered hesitantly. While the Red and Gold Rangers lit their Keyrunes and led the way, Izzy gave a nervous gulp, "I'm not sure about you guys, but whenever we go into these kinds of caves, it always makes me a little jittery."

As they began walking into the gloom, Nick gave her an encouraging pat on the back, "Relax Iz, being so close to all this earth works well for me and my powers. I promise we're not going to get buried alive or trapped."

They continued on their way following the narrow passages until they reached a wide open cavern area. As they strained to look out into the darkness, the Rangers could hear the faint whistle of air coming from some yawning opening in the darkness.

"Well, that's not creepy at all," Claire muttered screwing up her courage and sticking near the comforting light of the Red Ranger's Keyrune. When the Rangers reached the middle of the cavern, the Blue Ranger spoke up.

"Hold on a sec, did you guys hear something?" Danny asked from behind causing the group to stop. Everyone fell silent and looked around the cavern for several tense moments, straining to see outside the radius of light cast by Joe and Kara's Keyrunes.

"You're probably just being paranoid," Claire sighed but the Gold Ranger silenced her.

"Quiet. There's something here."

Everyone held their breath again as the sound of falling pebbles and skittering wings echoed in the cave. Before they realized it, the gargoyle batlings were upon them and dropped from the wide hole in the ceiling.

"Everyone! Morph now!" Joe called instantly summoning his Feather saber gladius. Before he could morph and call out another order, a batling swooped down and knocked him over from behind. Nearby, Carter made a tumbling dive behind some rocks and fired a few wild shots from his blaster, still destroying two minions in the volley.

The other Rangers were not faring as well, having been too surprised to morph. Claire shrieked as she was grabbed by the shoulder and lifted up into the air by a batling while Nick was also grabbed by several others and dragged into the sky as well. Both Izzy and Danny drew their Keyrunes but were shocked when more batlings swooped from the darkness and swiped the artifacts from their hands while others surprised them from behind and lifted them into the dark air.

Only Kara had managed to react and throw off her first attacker, sidestepping him and kicking aside another batling. Despite her speed and agility, she tried to dodge another blow but tripped over an uneven bend in the ground. As the Gold Ranger stumbled and fell over, she was gang piled and restrained by a handful of winged demons. While they carried her off into the dark cavern's open ceiling, Joe rolled over on the ground where he had fallen only to meet the gaze of another batling looming over him.

The demon lunged for him but the Red Ranger brought his short sword around in a backswing, slashing the monster across the chest, destroying it. While the Ranger struggled to rise, another blaster shot rang out, taking down another demon and causing the rest to scatter and retreat back into dark recesses of the caves above. In a heartbeat, Joe felt Carter rush over and pull him back up to his feet with a strong grip.

The two Red Rangers watched in horror as the others were carried off into the dark caverns above. Joe tightened his grip on his gladius and shouted desperately into the gloom, "Nick! Claire! Everyone!"

With a growl, he prepared to summon his wings and take flight after his friends but Carter caught him by the shoulder with a firm grip. "Wait! You shouldn't take off by yourself."

"My friends are in danger. I have to do something!" Joe answered heatedly trying to break free for a moment.  
Carter shook his head, "Stop and think for a minute Joe. We don't have a lot of time and the demons are just up ahead opening the Cistern. If they do that, then we'll all be in really big trouble. Stopping them is still our first priority."

The Red Vanguard Ranger relaxed his posture slightly, "Another one of those obvious choice situations... right?"

Carter gave a grim nod in reply, "We have to trust that the other Rangers will be able to hold out for just long enough to rescue them next. Besides, we don't know how badly you'd be outnumbered up there, and if something goes wrong, I can't fly to help either."

Joe took a calming breath and nodded turning back toward the dark passageway up ahead, "All right then. Let's wipe those monsters out then save our friends."

Carter readied his own blaster with a nod and led the way deeper into the gloomy cave, hoping they wouldn't be too late to save the other Rangers, or stop Skaard from unlocking the Devil's Cistern.


	44. Passing the Torch

**Episode 22: Part 2**

The two Red Rangers hurried deeper into the depth of the cave and down another sloping path for some time until they came to the edge of another cavern. As they approached quietly, they heard low voices in the near distance. Joe quickly extinguished the light of his Keyrune and crept closer in the darkness along with Carter until the two were at the mouth of a cavern lit by torchlights. From their vantage point, the two Rangers watched in silence as the demon Skaard stood before a large ornate basin made of brass.

The large cauldron-like container was covered in ancient sigils that were engraved into the body of it. Protruding from various points of the Cistern were hideous monster faces that were crafted in relief for more demonic ornamentation. Near the top of the cauldron pot was a brass lid and an open slot for the disc key that Skaard possessed.

Before both Rangers could even confer with each other on a new plan of action, the demon surprised them and hurried up to the Cistern, inserting the key in the slot. "At last! The remnants of my fallen Queen's powers are mine to control!"

The Cambion Magogs watched curiously as Skaard turned the key and opened the lip of the Devil's Cistern. As they did, a powerful rush of air and power burst from the top, throwing the demons backward. As the air swirled with evil magic energy and the lights of the nearby torches dimmed, four figures burst from the top of the cauldron and swirled about the room screaming in fury.

Joe and Carter held their breath and crouched in their hiding places fearfully as they witnessed the entities begin to take on the form of ethereal horsemen. They had frightful appearances and radiated an aura of terror from their ghastly mounts. Even more unusual, each evil rider glowed a different color: white, red, black, and pale. The two Rangers continued to watch in horror as the Four Horsemen circled the room and immediately turned on the Magog soldiers standing guard. Before the minions could react, the four hideous riders rode through them and struck them down with their weapons before rushing out of the mouth of the cave in a terrifying cacophony of screams and laughter.

After the escape of the riders, Skaard slowly rose to his feet as the air in the room settled again. The demon shook his head and approached the Cistern, finding that the demonic energy within it had stabilized and now pulsed with a malevolent purplish glow. Deciding to disregard what had just happened, Skaard began to ponder over the open Cistern when several of the winged gargoyle batlings emerged from holes in the nearby ceilings. While they chittered excitedly, Skaard grinned in delight as he saw that the batlings brought several of the Rangers along as captives.

"Well done," he smiled eying the defiant faces of the captured Rangers, "But it seems that two of you are still missing."

"Stuff it demon breath," Nick growled struggling against the grip of several batlings, "You must have really blown it if you let two Red Rangers get away."

Skaard shook his head, "You are in no position to make threats Ranger. You're too late. I have already opened up the Devil's Cistern."

From where she was being held, Claire struggled too and swallowed hard, "What are you going to do?"

The demon commander laughed, "Why use it to rebuild Queen Bansheera's army and super charge it. To think... Gideon actually thinks I'm here to serve his interests."

"I thought you were allies," Danny called out, hoping he could keep their enemy talking and buy some time.

"I was never his ally," the demon snarled in anger, "That arrogant archangel and his Cambion traitors were the ones who betrayed my Queen and had her sealed away millennia ago. Whether it was from the shame of falling from grace or fathering Prince Impus, none of us survivors who served Bansheera ever forgave Gideon for his actions."

Skaard gestured toward the pulsing cistern, "But all that is going to change now. I will seize control of the Cambion Legion and destroy all of its enemies... starting with you five. Drop them in the cauldron!"

While the captive Rangers struggled against the hybrid batlings, Carter and Joe made ready to save their friends. As she struggled against her captors, Kara managed to stamp on the foot of one guard and reverse headbutt him away, "You're not going to get away with this."

"You're right Kara! They're not!" answered a familiar voice from the darkness. Everyone stopped and turned to see Joe emerge from the shadows holding his gladius ready. "You'd better let my friends go demon, cause I've had just about enough of you!"

"All right! I knew you'd come man!" Nick grinned in relief as Izzy also gave a small cheer nearby.

Skaard sniffed in disdain, "You came alone? Very stupid of you Ranger. Batlings! Get him!"

The remaining winged minions scrambled over to charge the Red Ranger before several blaster shots rang out taking down several of the incoming monsters.

"He's not alone," Carter called out emerging from his hiding place keeping his smoking pistol leveled at Skaard, "We Rangers always stand by each other, which is more than I can say for you low life demons."

Turning to the younger Ranger, Carter shot him a grim smile, "You ready?"

"Let's do it!" Joe shouted as the two Rangers charged forward and took on the batlings unmorphed.

Ducking and weaving through the fight, Carter blasted a few more batlings out of the way and punched his morpher, transforming into his Ranger suit while on the move. Taking advantage of the startled batlings, Carter tumbled sideways and shot each of the minions holding the Rangers captive with his expert marksmanship.

Meanwhile, Joe vaulted past several batlings and used a flying soccer kick to smash another one aside. As he dodged a follow up blow and did a handspring off a charging batling, he pulled his Keyrune, "Vanguard Ascend!"

In a brilliant light, the morphed Red Ranger emerged and burst forward leaping toward Skaard with a winged jump. The demon commander gave a surprised cry as the young Ranger pounced on him, trying to beat down his guard with the gladius. Using his momentum, Joe blocked and parried aside Skaard's fists while drawing his Feather Stinger pistol in his other hand with one motion. Skaard gasped in surprise as the Ranger aimed at his face and fired at close range, sending the monster sprawling backwards.

Even as he clutched his face in pain, Skaard roared in fury, "You arrogant child!"

With that, he began igniting as flames and magma violently erupted all over his obsidian body.  
While the monster did that, the other Rangers broke free and morphed, rejoining their leader to confront the enemy. "You ready to take this guy?" Danny asked cracking his knuckles expectantly.

Joe turned his head and glanced toward the pulsing Cistern, "Everyone, I need you to contain that demon vat. I'll take care of this guy myself."

The other Rangers split off as the Red Ranger swiftly traced a sigil in the air with his own Keyrune and summoned his golden Archon armor. As he did that, Skaard took a fearful step backward in surprise, "What?"

Carter stepped beside Joe who called his saber sword and leveled it at their enemy, "If you play with fire, you're going to get burned. Carter?"

The Red Lightspeed Ranger readied his blaster as Skaard fired off an intense flamethrower from his hands. In an instant, Joe curled his four glowing wings together forming a protective shell around him and warding off the attack.

Meanwhile, Carter tumbled aside and fired back with another powerful fire extinguishing burst of flame retardant from his pistol. The flames suddenly died away as Skaard sputtered and flailed, having his powers momentarily neutralized. In an instant, the other Ranger burst his wings open and threw himself at the demon with a blazing fully charged sword swing of his own.

"Radiant Smite!" the Ranger called as his weapon flared brightly and neatly bisected the monster from collar to hip with one clean cut.

"How..." Skaard sputtered, "Bansheera, I..."

The monster never finished his sentence as he exploded into a miniature cloud of pyrotechnics.  
"That's the end of that," Carter said giving his pistol a twirl before holstering it. Turning toward the Cistern, he gestured to the other Red Ranger, "All right, we've got one last fire to put out."

Joe nodded and turned to see the other Rangers had already called their own golden Archon armor and drew their Keyrunes on the surging cauldron of evil energy. Each of the Rangers circled the Cistern, using their angelic powers to form a sort of containment ring around the cauldron to prevent any further seepage of dark corrupting magic.

The Red Ranger stepped forward beside Kara strengthening the formation and pushing back the demon magic slightly.

"We can't hold like this forever," Nick called trying to push back against a new surge of energy.

"Nick is right!" Izzy called, "I say we smash this thing."

Joe thought for a moment, then shook his head quickly, "No Iz. Sometimes the obvious choice is the wrong choice."

The other Vanguard Rangers looked at him in confusion while Carter couldn't help but smile a little behind his own visor.

"Ambient demon energy is escaping the Cistern in the open position right?" Joe explained, "If we close it again with the lid and the key, then that should reabsorb all this dark energy outside."

Claire reasoned it out for a moment then smiled, "Yeah. That just might work."

"Then keep holding your positions," Kara called grabbing the fallen Cistern key and lid from the ground, "I know what I have to do."

In a concerted effort, the Rangers held their ground and pushed back together against the surging power of the Cistern giving Kara just enough time to leap in and slam the heavy lid of the cauldron closed. The others watched and held their breath as the Gold Ranger inserted the disc key and turned it in the opposite direction, sealing the container once again.

To the Rangers' amazement, all the dark energy that had been pooling in the room began to gravitate quickly back to the pot. As expected, the evil demon magic curled back into the mouths of the ornamental heads sticking out of the Cistern until everything returned to normal. As the Vanguard Rangers breathed a sigh of relief, Carter raised his blaster and fired on the key that locked the Cistern. The moment the ornamental artifact was destroyed, the rest of the brass cauldron began to tremble and shake for several violent moments before cracks appeared on the body. A few heartbeats later, the entire Cistern fell apart and the neutralized demon energy within safety dissipated into a puff of smoke.

"Just in case that Gideon character decides to make another pass," Carter announced putting his weapon away.

All the Rangers relaxed their stances and let the tension drain away. It had been a long and frightening day. Despite the destruction of the Devil's Cistern and another one of Gideon's warriors, four strange and powerful entities had still been loosed. Whether or not the Horsemen were enemies of the humans, the Cambion demons, or both... remained to be seen. For the time being, it was better to accept the situation as it was and still consider it an overall victory. For the second time this summer, the Ranger's attempts at a meaningful vacation time had been interrupted and they were now eager to get back to Santa Barbara to try and enjoy the remainder of it.

* * *

A few days later, the Rangers met outside on the boardwalk overlooking the beach to say their goodbyes to Carter. After another whirlwind week of meeting a Ranger legend, battling more monsters, and preventing another world ending disaster, the Rangers were weary, but sad to see their new friend leave so soon.

Professor Bishop was the first to step forward, "Take care Carter. It was great to meet you and I'm glad my research was able to help you too."

"Thanks Gabe. I only hope when this is over, your research about the angels and demons can be officially published," Carter grinned shaking the professor's hand and clapping his shoulder.

Turning to Izzy, he laughed gently as she gave a hopeful look and held out a photo of the morphed Power Ranger along with a black pen. Carter took the pen and scribbled a small note before officially signing his autograph. **_"To the second prettiest Pink Ranger I've ever met. Lots of love ~ Carter Grayson"_**

"Thanks for everything Carter!" she gushed giving him a little hug, "I can't believe I really got to meet you in person!"

Kara stepped forward and gently took the star struck Pink Ranger by the shoulders, moving her off to the side, "Indeed. It was a great privilege Mr. Grayson."

Turning to Danny, the Red Lightspeed Ranger smiled and tilted his head slightly toward Izzy, "Keep at it kiddo," he said out of earshot, "In some ways you kinda remind me of my own team's Green Ranger Joel. Funny, witty, and persistent with the ladies."

"Oh? How did that work out for him?" Danny asked curiously as he shook Carter's hand.

"Last I checked, he's happily married," Carter winked playfully. Turning to Claire, he shook her hand too, "Speaking of which, I think you'd have a blast talking to his wife Angela. She's probably the smartest scientist and engineer I've ever met."

"Then I guess I'll really have to come and visit Mariner Bay sometime," the White Ranger agreed with an enthusiastic smile.

"Same goes for you Nick," Carter added turning to shake hands with the Green Ranger, "If you get lucky enough, I'm sure my friend Kelsey would be more than happy to take you rock climbing all over our own mountains."

"Sounds like a plan," Nick laughed in reply with a firm shake.

Finally Carter stopped in front of Joe and gave a proud smile, "As for you... you did great out there kid, and I'm really proud of you. You wear the color well and if I'm being honest, you remind me a little of myself when I was younger."

"I still have a lot to learn," Joe smiled as he shook his older counterpart's hand, "But you still taught me a lot and really helped me become a better Ranger, so thank you. I'm just glad I got chance to serve alongside you."

Carter put a friendly hand on the Red Ranger's shoulder and laughed, "Well, you did learn from the best. Now if only I could get my own son Troy to take direction as well, he could have the makings of a Power Ranger in a couple years too."

Carter gave another friendly laugh as he stepped away from the boardwalk and headed toward a waiting taxi cab on the street. "Thanks again everyone. If any of you ever decide to visit Mariner Bay, give me a call. You'll always be welcome in my home."

The Rangers watched as Carter got into the cab and drove off, leaving them to their own struggle against the demons. From high above, the keening sound of some seagulls called out from the clear summer skies while the gentle sound of the pounding surf echoed in the near distance.

"Well, I have to admit that it's lucky we were here this summer," Professor Bishop sighed, "By my count, you six probably saved this whole region at least twice in one month."

Kara nodded thoughtfully, "Still, it's unfortunate that we will be leaving to go home in a few days. I can't help but wish I had more to time to see the sights here."

"Now Kara, I think there's a way we can do a that while still having a little bit of fun," Danny smiled putting a friendly arm around her shoulder, "I was thinking we could all use our Ranger wings and start by going for a little leisurely flight."

"Danny, we aren't supposed to use our powers like that," Claire reminded him crossing her arms.

"Not unless we say we're just going on a little patrol," Joe grinned thoughtfully towards the Blue Ranger, "We're just going to make sure the demons had retreated for sure. What do you say?"

The others began to smile and nod as Danny gave an enthusiastic laugh, "Well in that case, I say Vanguard, Take Flight!"

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Thanks for reading everyone! Hopefully you enjoyed having Carter around to lend a hand. If anyone is curious, this version of Carter is also a nod toward the work of a fellow writer and a good friend of mine:** ** _ImaSupernaturalCSI_** **. If you want to read some excellent PR stories about life after Lightspeed Rescue, Carter and Dana's romance, and a boy named Troy, then definitely check her work out! It's great stuff. Thanks again Ima for letting me borrow your Carter!**

 **Coming up next is a more light hearted episode. Our Rangers return for a new school year with plenty of new challenges to overcome starting with demonic spies, mistaken identities, and major dating disasters. See you then!**


	45. Fatal Attraction

**Episode 23: Part 1  
**

The Cambion counselor Shemhazai watched from a distant balcony as a platoon of Magog foot soldiers drilled in one of the large atriums of the Dark Spire. Those fools, she thought to herself. General Abaddon was so wasteful and needlessly throwing away troops in the flawed belief that if the Cambion could simply overwhelm their enemies with numbers and force, then that would be enough to secure victory. What good was an army's fighting strength without good scouting and intelligence to back it up?

While Lord Gideon understood this fact, there were still many others in the Legion who could not appreciate the need to take the time to understand the enemy. By finding an enemy's vulnerable points, the Legion could weaken and confuse them before launching an assault to achieve total victory. It was time to see to that.

"You summoned me mistress?" purred a female voice from the shadows as a lithe feminine form partially materialized from the darkness.

Shemhazai tilted her head slightly, showing no signs of surprise toward the succubus, "Yes Lilith. I want you to go infiltrate the Rangers' ranks and learn more about them… most importantly, where their base of operations is. Do whatever you have to do to gain their trust."

"Yes mistress. I understand completely," the demon succubus Lilith answered dissolving seamlessly back into the cover of the shadows.

Shemhazai smirked slightly and crossed her arms while continuing to watch the Cambion foot soldiers' training. With any luck, she would be saving those minions from fighting and dying in another pointless battle against the Rangers.

* * *

"I don't know about you guys, but it's good to be back," Joe said as he walked with Danny and Claire across the quad. It was a late August afternoon for move-in day back at the college and the campus was already abuzz with the chaos of returning students and lost looking freshmen. Deciding to take a break from it all, the now sophomore Rangers took a short walk and headed back towards their dormitory.

"Oh sure," Danny sighed in mild sarcasm, "Back for another stressful year full of homework, exams, and monster attacks. There's no place like home."

"I'm just glad I'm done moving my stuff back into my dorm room for the year," Claire chimed in, "Having to pack and unpack is always kind of a pain."

"Tell me about it," Danny muttered, "I actually volunteered to help Izzy move her things in when she arrived earlier today. I had no idea she had so much stuff! It was exhausting!"

"Even for a big strong Power Ranger like you?" Joe teased throwing a playful arm around Danny's shoulders.

Claire giggled and reached up to gently poke the Blue Ranger's cheek too, "Aww, that's so sweet of you."

Danny simply gave a huff and pushed his two friends off before Claire stopped and pointed, "Uh oh… looks like trouble."

In the near distance, the three spotted the Pink Ranger and her sorority sister Jen Kaufmann approach from across the way.

"Hey everyone! Glad to see you made it back already!" Izzy grinned running over to greet Claire with a hug. Behind the Pink Ranger, Jen cleared her throat and gave a hesitant smile, "Uh, hi guys."

Danny answered with a pleasant greeting and watched in amusement as Joe and Jen exchanged an awkward pause. Finally, Joe cleared his throat and simply nodded, "Jen… nice to see you again."

"Yeah… same," she said looking away toward Izzy.

The Pink Ranger seemed oblivious and gave an excited smile, "So you guys know how classes start again next week, right? I was just talking with Jen and we were planning to go to the school's season opening football game this weekend. There's gonna be a big tailgating party before the game and Jen's boyfriend had an extra ticket. Anyone interested in going as my plus-one?"

Claire shook her head quickly, "Nah. I'm not a big fan of football."

At the mention of Jen's boyfriend again, Joe tightened his features, "Sorry, I think I'll pass on this one too. Why not ask Danny?"

Izzy glanced self-consciously toward Jen before giving a reluctant look to the Blue Ranger, "Um, I thought you didn't really follow football games."

"I don't," he admitted, "But if this is something you like, then I'm willing to give it a try. Besides, I hear the Hyperion Halos are supposed to be good this year."

"Well… tell you what," Izzy replied, "Let me run this offer by Nick and a few other people first. I'll get back to you, ok?"

For the first time, the Blue Ranger looked a bit crestfallen and gave a deflated shrug, "Yeah... sure."

Another conflicted look crossed Izzy's face before she waved again and walked off with Jen down the road.

"Oh man… you ok Danny?" Claire asked as she put a sympathetic hand on his arm.

The Blue Ranger stood with a long face, "Not really, but thanks anyway guys. I appreciate you two trying to help back there, but I just started to realize something."

"Oh? What's that?" Joe asked curiously.

The Blue Ranger shrugged, "Well... just how pointless this has all become. Listen, I know I joke around a lot, but if Izzy doesn't want to give me a fair chance at a date or appreciate the extra efforts I take for her, then I might as well stop wasting my time and find someone who does."

Joe and Claire exchanged another sympathetic look before the White Ranger asked, "Is there anything we can do to help?"

Danny stopped a moment and shook his head before walking off, "No. I think I just want to be alone for a while."

After watching Danny trudge away, Joe pulled out his cell phone and began dialing a number. Claire put her hands on her hips and raised a curious eyebrow, "I assume you have a plan?"

The Red Ranger held the phone to his ear and gave her a conspiratorial wink, "Of course. You and I are making different plans on the day of the game and I'm inviting Nick to join us too."

* * *

The next afternoon, Danny sat alone on a bench by one of the small campus fountains. He brought along a copy of the school newspaper to try and distract him, but it was no use. He was still a little upset about getting rejected by Izzy yesterday and tossed the paper aside dejectedly. As he stared off into space watching the dancing waters of the fountain, he was surprised when he felt a gentle tap on the shoulder. Glancing over, he saw a very attractive young woman standing at the edge of the bench giving him a shy smile.

The female student was dressed in preppy clothes that accented her slim hourglass figure. The Blue Ranger was stunned for a moment admiring her long brunette hair, her innocent looking face and her striking blue eyes. Around her neck hung a pendant with a deep violet colored stone.

"Umm, excuse me," the girl said in slight embarrassment, "I'm kinda new here and I missed orientation. I was hoping I could get some directions? I hope you don't mind helping a poor lost freshman find her way around, do you?"

"No… not at all," Danny stammered in surprise as he quickly rose to his feet and took her hand, "I'm Danny. Danny Winthrope."

"Lily Diavalo," the girl replied with a sweet smile, "Are you really sure I'm not bothering you? You looked kind of upset when I walked up."

Danny stopped and thought for a moment before shaking head and giving a kind smile to her, "No. It was nothing. I'd be happy to show you around campus."

To his surprise, Lily reached out and gently took his arm with a giggle, "That's great! I was hoping you'd say yes because I thought you were kinda cute too."

Danny stared in shock as she tugged his arm with a warm inviting smile, "Well? Lead the way!"

* * *

A few days later, the Rangers minus Danny all gathered at their hangout spot at the Mugshot café after lunch. While the place was already busy, it hadn't gotten too loud or crowded just yet. While the Rangers waited, they sat together talking, laughing, and catching up on other events from the rest of their short summer break.

Nearby, Izzy touched the extra game ticket in her pocket deciding to ask Danny to come after all. He really had been good her and she had felt a little bad about being so dismissive of him in front of Jen anyway.

As Nick began to tell a funny story about having to chase down a large hog that had gotten loose on his farm, Danny entered the café with a beautiful girl by his side.

"Hey everyone!" the Blue Ranger grinned cheerfully as he strode over to where his friends sat. "Sorry I'm late. I got a little tied up at the Union food court just now."

"So it seems," Izzy replied raising a suspicious eyebrow, "Who's your friend?"

The Blue Ranger gestured to the girl on his arm with a sheepish grin, "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Lily Diavalo. She's a new freshman here and I've been showing her around."

"We just met earlier this week, but Danny's been so sweet to me," Lily added hugging his arm affectionately, "We've been hanging out these last few days but I'm glad I finally got a chance to meet all of you! Danny's already told me a lot about you five."

The other Rangers continued to stare in silent shock.

"Damn, I come a few days late and Danny's already got a girlfriend?" Nick exclaimed.

"This is rather… unexpected," Kara agreed raising her eyebrows.

"I know. I'm a little surprised myself," Danny grinned, "But if Lily and I decide to spend more time together, I wanted to introduce her to you guys first… you know, to get your seal of approval?"

"So far... I approve," Joe chuckled toward Nick before Claire gave the Red Ranger a sharp elbow in the ribs from her spot on the couch beside him.

"That reminds me Lily," Danny added with a laugh, "If you've got some other single friends, maybe you could hook one of them up with my buddy Joe here. He's pretty unlucky when it comes to dating too."

The Red Ranger scowled at him before giving Lily a polite smile and shaking her hand, "Don't mind him. It's nice to meet you."

After introducing everyone, Lily began chatting with the female Rangers while Joe and Nick pulled Danny aside.

"Ok preppy, what's going on here?" Nick whispered, "Are you pulling a prank on the girls or something?"

"No!" Danny frowned, "Why is it so hard to believe that maybe there's a cute girl out there who actually likes me and appreciates me for who I am?"

Joe waved Nick off, "Listen Dan, if that's really the case, then great. I'm happy for you. It's just that… well, it's all a little sudden. You had always been trying so hard to get Izzy to like you, and we didn't think that you'd rebound so quick."

Danny shrugged and clapped the Red Ranger's shoulder with a smile, "I appreciate the concern guys, but don't worry. I'm fine. I know what I'm doing, and I'm happy. Like I said before, why waste my time and energy on a girl who obviously doesn't care about me back, right?"

Unable to argue the point, the Red and Green Rangers exchanged a shrug as Danny and Lily left the café arm in arm to go for an afternoon walk. Turning back toward the girls, Nick asked hesitantly, "So girls… uh, what did you think of Lily?"

The Pink Ranger crossed her arms and stuck her nose up in the air, "She's smart, sweet, and attractive. I hate her already."

"I'm not sure about you guys, but she seemed way too interested and affectionate with Danny, don't you think?" Claire added putting a comforting arm over Izzy in sister-like solidarity.

"Let me guess, that old female intuition is going off again?" Nick derisively scoffed.

Claire frowned and stuck her tongue out at him, "Whatever it is, Lily must have some angle... right Kara?"

The Gold Ranger cringed in her seat nearby, "I am not good with relationship topics… especially ones of a romantic nature. It's probably best that you don't ask me."

"Well, there's only one way to be sure there's no trick," Izzy said making a fist, "We keep a close eye on Lily. She said she was going out to dinner with Danny tomorrow night so we can start there."

"Oh geez Iz! Now you're just talking crazy," Joe groaned, "Wouldn't it be easier to just admit you're a little jealous, or something?"

"Except I'm not," the Pink Ranger answered flatly as she rose from her seat and gave him a gentle poke on the nose, "I'm only being a concerned friend here. Believe me, you boys just wouldn't be able to understand."

Joe and Nick watched in confusion as the three girls got up and marched out of the café too. Turning to his best friend, the Green Ranger shook his head and sighed, "Well man, if it makes you feel any better, I sure as hell don't understand either."

* * *

The next night, Izzy made her way inside _Le Poulet_ , a small French bistro at the edge of campus town. Because of the more upscale atmosphere and intimate seating, it was a popular date spot for students at the university. As she smoothed out her casual pink blouse, Izzy took a seat nearby the booth where Danny and Lily were busy having a romantic dinner date, laughing and holding hands while they did.

"Is this all really necessary?" Kara asked in mild annoyance as she sat across from Izzy at the table. The Gold Ranger continued to examine the all-French menu upside down with a confused frown. "What if people get the wrong idea about us... that our dinner here is romantic?"

Izzy waved it off and continued to spy on the date while hiding behind her own menu, "Well Kara, both Joe and Nick refused to come with me so you and I will just make it look like a girls night out. Besides, this is Danny we're talking about. We want to make sure everything is ok."

The Gold Ranger rolled her eyes and pointed, "From where I'm sitting, he seems to be doing just fine."

Izzy glanced over in surprise to see Lily lean over and give the Blue Ranger a kiss. As she did, Izzy noticed the purple stone pendant that Lily wore begin to glow for a moment, fading away when they broke the brief kiss.

"Whoa... did you see that just now?" Izzy asked Kara, "You don't think there's something weird going on here, do you?"

Kara sighed and lowered her menu, not having paid attention, "The only weird thing is why all the items on this menu are in a completely different language. Maybe if Professor Bishop were here, he could translate these menus for us too."

The Pink Ranger gave an exasperated sigh then jumped a foot when she felt a finger tap her shoulder. To her horror, he looked up to see Danny standing at the table crossing his arms with a small frown. He was looking a little flushed already, but whether it was because he was angry, it was hard to tell.

"Uh... girls? I know Lily told you we'd be here, but I didn't expect I'd actually see any of you here tonight."

"We were not spying on your date," a straight faced Kara abruptly said from across the table, "This... is a girls night out."

The Pink Ranger's stomach dropped and she slapped her forehead at that statement.

Danny gave the Gold Ranger an incredulous look before turning to Izzy in irritation, "Ok, I'm actually going to give Kara a free pass on this one. Izzy, why were you spying on me tonight?"

Izzy's pulse quickened as she stammered and feebly tried to come up with a response, "Um... well, there's a perfectly good explanation for that..."

Just then, the Pink and Blue Rangers' phones buzzed and they looked down to see there was a demon attack breaking out on the other end of campus town. Shaking his head, Danny gave an annoyed look toward Izzy, "You know what? Forget it. The monsters are attacking and I don't have time for this."

Lily was immediately at Danny's side, "Is everything ok?"

Danny shook his head, "Err, no. Lily, there's another monster attack going on. I think you should stay here where it's safe. I've got to run out really quick and make sure a few of my other friends are safe too. I promise I'll be right back."

"Are you sure?" Lily pleaded, "Um... are there any safe places you generally like to go to during these attacks? Could you tell me so I can meet you there later?"

The Blue Ranger shook his head, "No. I'm sorry. Just stay here. I promise I'll come back for you."

Turning to the others, Danny gestured for the door, "Let's go you two."

As they hurried out the door behind the Blue Ranger, Izzy turned to Kara and grumbled quietly, "Kara, just for the record... you are the worst date ever."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Shout out goes to** _ **Kuro no Okami**_ **for suggesting the monster of this particular episode. Another special mention goes to** _ **Stormasius**_ **for the same suggestion, as well as the idea for the episode's general plot. Thanks again guys! Finally, some credit also goes to Joss Whedon's Firefly for a few little funny bits later on in Part 2.**


	46. A Whirlwind Romance

**Episode 23: Part 2  
**

"Well, that's the last of them," Nick sighed watching as the final Magog keeled over and burst into a puff of fiery ash.

He glanced over to where the other morphed Rangers stood, scanning the battlefield for any other threats. To their relief, the streets were empty.

"I don't know about you guys, but doesn't this all seem a little strange?" Claire asked holstering her blaster pistol, "This was way too easy. There was no leader… only a small pack of Magogs."

"Perhaps this is some sort of diversion?" Kara suggested stepping beside her.

The Red Ranger sheathed his gladius and gave a thoughtful shrug, "Maybe… but if it was, a second attack would be breaking out right now."

"Or maybe Gideon is just running out of troops and getting sloppy?" Nick asked hopefully.

"Doubtful," Claire sighed, "But we can always hope, right?"

While the other Rangers took a moment to speculate amongst themselves, Izzy glanced over to see Danny slump down tiredly and take a quick rest on one knee. It wasn't late at all and the Blue Ranger had not been hurt in the fight either.

"Are you ok there Dan?" she asked hesitantly as she walked over and extended a hand. He looked up to her quietly before rising to his feet, ignoring her hand, "I'm fine. I was just feeling a little lightheaded."

The Pink Ranger could only give a small sigh as he waved to the others and took off from the battlefield, "I need to go check in on Lily. Let me know if there are any more monsters, ok?"

Giving a reluctant shake of the head, Izzy turned and followed her other friends as they started heading back home for the evening. Something strange was going on and she was determined to figure it out.

* * *

The next afternoon, the Cambion succubus disguised as Lily sat on a desk in an empty classroom. While she waited for the Blue Ranger to arrive, Lilith held her purple stone pendant in her hand speaking into it quietly as it glowed.

"Have you learned where the Rangers' base of operations is?" Shemhazai's disembodied voice asked from the crystal, "Or have you learned who they may be taking direction from?"

"No," Lilith replied, "But I have learned some things about the Rangers... their friends, and the places they frequent. Still, they did not take the bait when I sent my Magogs to attack the other night."

"We're still going to need to do more if we hope to please Lord Gideon," Shemhazai said, sounding a little impatient.

"I understand mistress, but I've decided a different approach may be in order. Instead of gathering more information right now, why not eliminate them one by one and reduce their fighting strength?"

"You would drain the male Rangers of their life force?" Shemhazai asked curiously.

Lilith nodded with a devilish smile, "I've already begun on the Blue Ranger. The fool is so smitten, that he doesn't even realize that he's becoming fatigued."

Shemhazai thought a moment before nodding, "Very well. Keep me informed of your progress then."

The light from the crystal dimmed as the demons cut the connection and Danny entered the classroom. He knocked on the door and gave a smile as he walked in, "Hey Lily. Sorry I'm late. Are you ready to go to lunch?"

Lily tucked her pendant away quickly and turned around to face him with a sweet smile. "Danny! Hi! I'm so happy to see you!" she said hopping off the desk and throwing her arms around his neck. Before he could speak, she pulled him in and gave him an enthusiastic kiss.

"Wow. I can tell," Danny replied breathlessly as he broke away for a moment. "Um, are you ready to eat?"

Lily's lip curled slightly as she continued to keep her arms around him and gave a suggestive look, "Yes… but I was actually thinking maybe we could start with a little dessert?"

Danny looked around the empty classroom in surprise for a moment, "Wait… um, really? Here? With me?"

Lily gave a feral smile and leaned in, kissing him again. The Blue Ranger felt his heart race as the kiss grew deeper and more intense until he caught the faint glow of the purple pendant around Lily's neck. Before he could break the kiss, he glanced up to see his girlfriend's features had slightly taken on a demonic appearance. In an instant, the succubus felt a rush of the Ranger's life force be absorbed into her pendant as he passed out and went limp.

Looking down at him for a moment, Lilith gave a thoughtful smile. It would be a terrible shame to have to kill him. He had been so amusing, and useful. Perhaps he could still serve as a vessel to feed from later. The succubus hoisted Danny's limp form up and dragged the unconscious Ranger by the scruff of his blazer collar over to a corner. After she did, she plucked Danny's Keyrune from his pocket, denying him his ability to morph or make use of any water magic.

She would be back for him later, but in the mean time, she had two more targets to take care of. If she could neutralize the other two male Rangers, then defeating the remaining 3 females would be much easier. She took a moment to smooth out her mussed hair and clothes before walking out of the classroom and locking it behind her.

* * *

Later that day, Izzy made her way out of the campus Mathematics building and prepared to head home when she spotted Lily quickly walking by herself down one of the main sidewalks of the quad. Taking a quick glance around, the Pink Ranger melted into the crowd of other students on campus and began to follow the suspicious looking freshman. While she pursued Lily, Izzy made sure to keep a safe distance while staying near spots she could use for cover like trees, buildings, or groups of loitering students. She continued to follow the girl across campus until she came to one of the greenhouses for agriculture students.

Giving a confused frown, the Pink Ranger stayed out of sight while Lily entered the seemingly empty greenhouse and look around. To Izzy's surprise, she spotted Nick standing by himself at one of the tables. He had several potted plants in front of him and he whistled a cheerful song while working on a lab report about acid levels in the soil.

Upon spotting Lily in the greenhouse, Nick stopped and put his pencil down in surprise. "Oh! Um, hi Lily. I wasn't expecting to see you here. Did you get lost again?"

She gave a giggle and shook her head, "No. I just thought I'd come by to admire the flowers and the ferns."

"Well, you came to the right place then," the Green Ranger grinned proudly. "I've got a couple fresh samples of blue aster flowers right here."

Nick lovingly stroked the petals of one flower as Lily walked up to take a sniff. "They're beautiful… and my favorite color."

"Um… I'm not surprised," Nick replied suddenly realizing how close the girl was now standing to him over the flower.

Turning toward him, she brushed aside her hair with a suggestive smile, "Danny told me you know a whole lot about plants and flowers. Would you… maybe like to show me more?"

The Green Ranger felt his face grow a little warm as she moved close and began fiddling with the buttons on his shirt, "Oh, gee… I don't know about that."

While he couldn't help but admit that the girl was extremely attractive, Nick was shocked this was happening. He was surprised, embarrassed, and maybe feeling a little ashamed too.

From her hiding spot, Izzy covered her mouth in outrage before Nick gently stepped away from Lily and raised his hands, "Listen Lily, I don't know what's going on here, but this isn't right. Danny's a good friend of mine and I'm not going to let you fool around behind his back… especially not with me."

To the Green Ranger's shock, Lily lashed out and gripped him violently by the collar of his shirt, lifting him slightly off the ground.

"I don't think he'd mind," the succubus said revealing her demonic features, "Since I left him in the English building, he's not in any position to argue anymore."

The Green Ranger gasped in fear before the demoness easily hurled him through the door of the greenhouse and out into the lawn. Nick groaned in pain and slowly sat up amid the remains of the broken glass door. He had been winded from hitting the ground hard and saw he had a minor cut on his forehead too. To his horror, he saw the succubus Lilith loom over him with an imperious sneer, "Too bad. I think you could have been useful to me... and fun to play with."

"Try playing with this you skank!" came a cry as the Pink Ranger burst from her hiding spot and knocked Lilith away with a flying jump kick from behind. Before the demoness could recover, Izzy stood over her stunned friend and held out her Keyrune, "Take cover Nick!"

The Green Ranger ducked low and curled up as Izzy called up a powerful pink gale of wind that lifted up the glass shards on the ground and swirled around the succubus for a brief moment. Lilith roared in fury as the shards sliced at her face and her delicate features, marring them with several ugly gashes.

When the wind died down, Lilith snarled furiously at Izzy, "You! I'll do much worse to your pretty face Pink Ranger!"

At that moment, the two Rangers were joined by Joe, Claire, and Kara who had responded to a quick SOS from Nick.

"I'd like to see you try!" Izzy called back defiantly standing front and center of the Ranger's formation to lead the morph, "Everyone? Vanguard Ascend!"

In flash, the five Rangers stood ready to face the succubus and back the Pink Ranger up. "Ha! I knew there was something off about Lily," Claire smirked giving Nick a light punch in the shoulder, "I'm two for two now."

While the Green Ranger rolled his eyes, Lilith snarled, "Is that it Pink Ranger? You wanted to bring some friends? Why don't you meet some of mine!"

With the wave of her hand, the demon drew her own light blade and called a whole platoon of Magogs to slow the Rangers down.

"Wow, she's got a lot of friends," Joe quipped to the others, "She must really get around."

Without waiting, Izzy quickly raised her Keyrune and traced the sigil of Archangel Ambriel, calling her golden Archon Armor. The others scrambled in momentary confusion while Izzy leveled her rapier at the succubus and charged forward by herself. "Vanguard, take flight!" she called.

"Hey! You stole my line Iz!" Joe sputtered in outrage as the others rushed to catch up and take one the foot soldiers.

While the others did battle with the minions, Izzy plowed through the enemy center and vaulted toward Lilith in a flying gymnastic corkscrew flip. Lilith growled and clashed rapiers with Izzy kicking up another burst of wind. Undeterred, the Pink Ranger ducked and twirled amid a blinding flurry of sword strikes as she exchanged blows and parried aside her enemy's advances.

As the two combatants exchanged another storm of strikes and locked blades again, Lilith forced her way through Izzy's guard and grabbed her tightly by the neck, pulling her close. "It may not work as well on you girlie, but how about a little kiss?" Lilith sneered puckering up.

"Kiss this!" Izzy retorted bringing around her other fist in a nasty armored left hook. Lilith recoiled for a moment, clutching her mouth where Izzy punched her giving the Pink Ranger just the opening she needed. In a heartbeat, the demon looked up to see the Ranger lunge forward and strike her with a barrage of pink charged rapier thrusts and kick up another powerful gust of air. As Lilith gave one last pained cry, she exploded on Izzy's blade as the Pink Ranger impaled her through the heart.

As the smoke cleared and the rest of the Magogs fled, Izzy sighed in exhaustion as she lowered her sword and took a deep breath. She felt the White Ranger put a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Hey Iz... are you ok?"

The Pink Ranger glanced to her before spotting the Blue Keyrune laying on the ground where Lilith was destroyed. She quickly grabbed it from the ground and powered down. "Oh my God! Danny! We have to make sure he's ok!"

Before the others could reply, she took off running back toward the heart of the school.

* * *

Izzy rushed back across the campus pushing past other students to get to the English building as fast as she could. In her hand, she gripped Danny's Keyrune tightly, silently praying that he would be alright. As she burst into the building's main hall, she saw that it was mostly empty after classes had ended for the day.

The Pink Ranger took a moment to catch her breath before hurrying down the side halls peering into each room or opening closed doors to search for her missing friend. Finally, she came to the last door at the end of the all and found it to be locked. Gripping the doorknob in frustration, she gave it a few twists and a shoulder ram to no effect.

Undeterred, Izzy pulled her Keyrune and shoved it into the door, jimmying the lock open successfully. As she entered, she spotted Danny still laying on the floor in the corner of the room where the succubus left him. The Pink Ranger hurried over and fell to her knees, putting her fingers to his neck while tilting his head up slightly.

To her relief, she felt his pulse and saw that he was still breathing. "Oh thank God you're ok!" she exclaimed in relief putting her forehead to his and holding his face with her hands. Overcome with relief and emotion, she leaned down and pressed her lips to his quickly.

As she rose slowly to her knees, she stopped and frowned, feeling a strong tingling sensation spread from her lips to her whole body. As she began to feel faint and woozy herself, she glanced at Danny with a groan realizing it must have been from some after-effect of a powerful succubus kiss. "Oh you stupid son of a..." She never finished her sentence as she fainted and toppled over onto her side.

Some time later, Danny groaned and cracked his eyes open in a stupor to see the relieved faces of Joe and Claire coming into focus. "Can I open my presents now?"

"Welcome back Danny," Joe laughed helping the Blue Ranger sit up.

"It looks like Lily really got you good," Claire grinned.

Danny only gave a groggy frown, "Tell me about it. That tramp was a Cambion demon."

"Succubus to be exact," Kara called over from nearby, "Female demons who seduce men and prey on their life force. They're especially known to have a venom on their lips with a powerful narcotic effect."

Nick sat on a desk nearby and crossed his arms in amusement, "Lips huh? Looks like you two must have been really been going at it then."

The Blue Ranger ignored his friend's taunt and turned to see Izzy propped up along a nearby wall.

She looked just as groggy and disoriented. "What happened to you Iz?"

"I fell," the Pink Ranger said quickly trying not to sound too out of it, "When I found you here... I tripped, and I fell. The rest of you guys believe me, right?"

The other Rangers stared at her blankly before exchanging puzzled looks.

"Well, whatever happened, let's just get you two back to the dorms," Joe said hoisting Danny up and supporting him with his weight, "After that little scare earlier, I think we could all use a little bit of a rest now."

* * *

The next day, Izzy lay on her bed in her dorm room staring at the ceiling. Both she and Danny were still taking a little more bed rest after recovering from her "fall" and the powerful succubus venom the other day. Unfortunately, that meant she was still too fatigued to go the football game and party with Jen. Despite her disappointment, after everything that had happened that past week, it almost seemed fair in a way.

She was surprised when she heard a soft knock at the door and saw Danny poke his head in. "Hey Iz... um, can I come in for a minute?"

Like her, he was still wearing a t-shirt and pajama bottoms too. She sat up in bed and nodded, allowing him to walk over and sit down nearby.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

She shrugged, "Better now, but kinda disappointed about bailing on Jen. I'm also really sorry because I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me to the game and the party today."

Danny looked up in surprise as she continued, "I admit I had acted kinda thoughtless toward you earlier in the week and it wasn't right of me. I'm really sorry Danny."

He smiled and shook his head, "Don't sweat it Iz. I was acting pretty stupid too, getting so head over heels with Lily and it turns out you were the one who rooted her out as a monster."

"Well, even if we both missed the game, I guess all is well?" she asked hopefully.

The Blue Ranger reached over and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, "Yeah... though I am a little confused about one thing."

Izzy raised an eyebrow as he continued, "You're a very nimble fighter Iz. I've seen you take out a ton of demons in battle all by yourself. Yet, when you come to find me yesterday, you trip and fall?"

"Why not?" she asked hesitantly, "I could have."

"Come on Iz, don't mess around with me here," Danny said leaning closer to her and looking her directly in the eyes, "You didn't trip and fall, did you?"

The Pink Ranger felt her cheeks grow warm as they sat very close together having a moment, "No."

Another heartbeat passed and Danny slowly broke out into a grin, "Then that could only mean one thing."

"Umm... what?" Izzy asked in confusion as he suddenly pulled away.

Danny rose to his feet and headed back out toward the door with a laugh, "Oh come on Iz. You shouldn't be embarrassed. You must have let that succubus seduce you too, huh? I gotta admit, that's pretty kinky of you."

The Pink Ranger blinked a moment and stared in disbelief as she watched him leave. Flopping back down on her bed, she put her hand to her cheeks. It was good she took the day off because it seemed that she was starting to feel that same headrush from yesterday all over again.


	47. Bait and Switch

**Episode 24: Part 1  
**

It was a bright crisp autumn afternoon as Nick Adler walked alongside Claire down the streets of the small city of Hyperion Falls. As they turned off and headed down a shady parkway toward the bus-stop back to campus, Nick sighed as he shifted the weight of the heavy bags in his hands, "I still don't see why you had to buy all these discount textbooks for classes that you're not even taking yet."

"Oh, come on Nick. You know me by now," Claire said pointing to her head, "I'm always thinking ahead, "If I can get those books while they're cheap and available, I don't have to scramble like a madwoman last minute and pay premiums on the books for next semester."

"Fair enough," the Green Ranger groaned, "But I don't see why you had to trick me into coming along today."

Claire gave a sympathetic smile toward her friend and shrugged, "Well, look how heavy all those books are. You can't expect I'd be able to lug all that stuff back to campus by myself, do you?"

Nick rolled his eyes toward the White Ranger, "You know, I hope you don't just view me as some sort of big strong pack mule that you can just take advantage of whenever you need it. Try walking a mile in my shoes."

"Just like I could say the same about you and the others expecting me to think of everything whenever someone gets in a pinch," Claire replied with an edge of defensiveness.

The start of their little argument was cut short as they heard a loud commotion erupt from nearby.

The two students hurried across the parkway and spotted what looked to be a slender Cambion demon. It was dressed in the red, white, and black patterned suit of a harlequin jester from the Renaissance age. Below its multi-tipped cap with bells, the creature wore an ornate painted mask fixed in a wide smile that was both mischievous and diabolical. Nearby, it looked like a handful of innocent civilians were already laying stunned on the ground with a group of Magog foot soldiers hovering over them.

The harlequin demon gave another laugh and cornered several civilians before raising a little scepter crafted with a demon head and jester's cap of its own. "No need to fear folks. I, the great Pazuzu won't hurt you... much. Now just keep your eye on my wand."

In a flash of energy, the eyes on the demon head scepter lit up causing the civilians to stop and topple over.

As Pazuzu gave a grin and turned to leave the scene, a small volley of golden blaster shots struck the ground, stopping him in his tracks. When the smoke cleared, the Cambion spotted a morphed Green and White Vanguard Ranger standing in his way.

"Well... I didn't know I had a live audience to my show," Pazuzu smiled playfully twirling his scepter in his hand.

"The review is in demon, and it turns out your show's not very funny," Claire called gripping her blaster pistol.

"Whatever you did to those people, you're going to undo it or we're gonna have to make you," Nick challenged, drawing his gladius. Turning to Claire, he asked, "You ready to go short-stuff?"

"Let's do it!" Claire called taking aim and firing another volley of shots as Nick charged forward into melee range.

Pazazu giggled and nimbly danced around the shots while deflecting others away using his scepter. When the Green Ranger was upon him, the demon continued to use its amazing agility to easily dodge the Ranger's sword blows.

"Too slow," the demon cackled in a mocking laugh as he sidestepped Nick and tapped him on the helmet with his scepter in a taunt.

Nick growled angrily and swung again, but Pazuzu ducked and blinded him with light from his demon wand. In a heartbeat, Pazuzu slid under the Green Ranger's legs and whirled around swiftly. Before Nick could react, the demon kicked him in the rear end while he was off balance, causing the Green Ranger to fall flat on his face.

Pazuzu howled in laughter again as Claire charged forward to help, firing off a few more shots with her blaster. The harlequin easily evaded the shots and let her close to striking distance. As the White Ranger rushed forward and tried to throw a punch, Pazuzu disappeared into a cloud of black smoke. Claire stopped, momentarily disoriented before swatting away the smoke. After she did, she looked about in confusion and saw the demon was gone.

Moments later, she felt a tap on her shoulder and she whirled around to see Pazuzu's grinning face before getting blinded by the light of his demon scepter. Giving Claire a small push and knocking her over, Pazuzu cackled again before he looked up to see 4 more angelic Rangers descend on the battlefield.

"Well Rangers, that was fun," the demon called retreating from the scene with his Magogs, "But I think we should schedule a new play date. If you two are feeling up to it, that is."

"Hey, are you two ok?" Izzy asked hurrying over and helping Claire rise to her feet. The White Ranger blinked her eyes and regained her senses before giving a nod, "Yeah, I think so."

Nearby, the Red, Blue, and Gold Rangers rejoined them with Nick in tow. The Green Ranger was rubbing his bottom with a grumble. "My pride is a little bruised, but I'm ok too."

While they regrouped, the Rangers could see the stunned civilians regain their senses and begin to get up again.

"Strange," Kara commented to herself, "What do you suppose that demon was after?"

Claire shrugged and walked over to recover her bags of books that she bought earlier, "Aside from totally making fools of us in battle, I'm not sure."

The Red Ranger nodded slowly and gestured to the other Rangers, "Well, as long as you and Nick are ok, let's get these civilians back on their feet and then head back to campus. Follow me."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the darkness of the Abyss, the Cambion General Abaddon strode into the ornate throne room of his lord and gave a reverent bow as he approached the dias where the ancient fallen Archangel sat, "You summoned me Lord Gideon?"

The Archangel regarded him coolly and nodded, "Yes General. You have recovered from your last battle with the Rangers?"

"I look forward to crushing them into dust," Abaddon snarled as he clenched his armored fists.

Gideon smiled but shook his head gently, "Patience General. There will be time for that. I have called you here for a very special assignment. You know that the demon seal to the mortal world is nearly worn away. Even greater demons such as yourself may now cross over as you wish. But before we can prepare our full scale invasion, we need to tie up some loose ends."

"My Lord?"

At that, the demon counselor Shemhazai stepped from the shadows and took her place beside Abaddon with a bow. "A powerful group of renegade entities had been loosed from Bansheera's Cistern recently... four warrior horsemen by my spies' count."

"What does that have to do with us?" Abaddon asked.

Gideon turned his eyes on the warlord, "Those Horsemen are neither aligned with the Legion or the Rangers. We need to be certain those four horsemen will not interfere in our operations. If we can convince them to work with us to destroy our enemies, then all the better."

"You're proposing we sent an envoy to them?" Abaddon asked, "To treat with these Horsemen?"

Gideon nodded, "Precisely. I am tasking Shemhazai to locate the Horsemen and speak with them. I wish for you to accompany her as a show of the Cambion Legion's force. "

Abaddon growled and turned a suspicious eye to the Counselor before lowering his head to the Archangel, "If that is what you wish Lord Gideon, but what of the Rangers?"

"Do not trouble yourself General," Shemhazai smiled, "One of my agents, the harlequin Pazuzu, is already busy sowing enough chaos among the humans to weaken the Great Seal and keep the Rangers busy for us in the meantime."

* * *

Early the next morning, Claire rolled over in bed and gave a tired yawn, glad that it was going to be a lazy Sunday morning. As much as she wanted to snooze for a little while longer, she figured she might as well eat breakfast then get a jump start on her homework that she had put off the other day in the city.

As she cracked her eyes open and looked around, she froze as she realized her surroundings were different. Sitting atop her night stand was a small pot of geraniums. Hanging on the wall next to her bed was a pennant flag of the college's football team and she looked down to see a green colored blanket over her sheets. This was not her bed, or her room at all.

Claire sat up in bed and turned her head only to have her heart stop in shock. At the other end of the room, she saw Joe at the sink, standing in front of the mirror shaving. He looked like he had just showered up after a morning jog and was wearing nothing but a red pair of boxer shorts.

Claire gulped as the Red Ranger turned with a face still half lathered in shaving cream and gave a friendly smile while washing off his razor, "Morning. You're up early."

Claire sat staring in shocked silence both from confusion and the fact that her crush was standing right in front of her in nothing but his underwear.

"Uh... is something wrong?" he asked, "You're kinda weirding me out a little."

Claire glanced over toward the mirror and gasped again as she saw her reflection. In her place, she saw Nick's reflection and it slowly dawned on her that whatever that demon had done the other day, she was no longer in her own body, but in that of someone else's now.

Before she could answer, the door began to pound furiously and Joe walked over to crack it open and see who it was. Claire sat watching in stunned horror as she saw herself, or rather someone else in her body barge in past the Red Ranger wearing her pajama shorts and white camisole. "Let me in! You've got to help me Joe!"

"Geez Claire! What the hell is wrong with you?" Joe cried in outrage stumbling back into the room and scrambling to put on a pair of pants, "Can't you see I don't have any clothes on?"

Stopping and taking a glance, he said, "And for that matter, shouldn't you be putting on a few more clothes too?"

"Can't you see we've got bigger problems here?" the person in Claire's body interrupted waving their arms in a loud panic, "I woke up this morning and I'm no longer the same person! For God's sake, Joe! Look! I have boobs!"

Joe blinked in shock before turning his gaze away, his face growing red in embarrassment, "Um, yeah... and they're very nice Claire."

"Wait? You think my boobs are nice?" Claire asked in surprise from Nick's body causing everyone to stop and stare at her.

"Wait a sec! Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my body?" the person in Claire's body exclaimed furiously.

"Nick?" Claire asked slowly, "Is that you?"

The girl nodded and her eyes grew wide, "Claire? Are you in there?"

Standing between them with his face still half shaved and one leg through his jeans, Joe gave a look of growing annoyance, "Look... will someone please tell me what the hell is going on here? If this is some kind of crazy prank..."

"No. This is no joke," Claire said rising quickly from Nick's bed, "I'm really Claire in here and I think that demon from yesterday just caused Nick and I to switch places."

Nick nodded and began furiously digging through his own dresser drawer before pulling out a large green flannel button-up shirt. Putting it on over his newer smaller female frame made him look a little ridiculous but he didn't seem to care. "All right then! What are we waiting for? Let's call the others together and figure out what to do!"

* * *

Later that day, the Vanguard Rangers assembled at the Rookery Building in the office of Professor Bishop. As they did, the others cast puzzled looks among each other before looking to the Green and White Rangers sitting on the couch. They both wore awkward and unhappy looks while the others stared.

After Nick and Claire told their stories again, Danny sat down on the arm of the couch next to Nick and gave him a playful wink, "Aw come on. There's no way Nick can be in Claire's body. She's still so cute and innocent looking."

In a flash, Nick reached out and ferociously grabbed the Blue Ranger's collar in annoyance.

Outwardly, to see little Claire so easily manhandling Danny was an unusual sight.

"I'm not in the mood today preppy," he growled in Claire's voice, "I dare you to say that again."

"Hey, can I get in on that?" Claire asked cracking her larger stronger knuckles now.

The Professor cleared his throat loudly to break up the commotion.

"So you think that demon cast some sort of spell yesterday and caused you two to swap bodies?" Bishop said leaning back in his chair as he tried to understand the unusual situation before him. "Why would the monster do that?"

"Most likely to cause confusion and chaos," Kara answered, "If the demon already struck several other victims yesterday, the situation will only get worse assuming they were body switched too."

Joe nodded in agreement, "Kara's right. If the demons mean to keep working on that Great Seal, then this isn't a bad way to do it. The question is, how to do we undo the spell?"

Bishop frowned in thought, "If I had to guess? Destroying that Jester... or maybe that scepter he was carrying."

Claire spoke up as she fidgeted on the couch, "But that would mean we have to wait until that monster shows up again! Who knows when that will be?"

Nick nodded beside her, testing his vision with and without Claire's glasses, "Yeah! What the heck are we supposed to do in the mean time? We have regular classes and stuff tomorrow!"

"Oh my God! You're right!" Claire exclaimed in horror, "I have a Physics quiz scheduled. If Nick takes it for me, I can't afford to bomb my first grade of the semester. It'll set me back!"

"Hey! You think I'm going to fail it that badly?" Nick grumbled, "As long as I get a C grade it'll be fine."

Claire moaned before raising a finger, "Oh, and another thing Nick... if you're going to be stuck in my shoes for a while, you'd better not look or do anything perverted either."

"Well, same to you!" Nick retorted indignantly.

"This is just too weird," Izzy muttered quietly to the other two boys who watched with bemused expressions while the Green and White Rangers erupted into another squabble. Turning to Joe, the Pink Ranger said, "You realize we're going to have to switch up the sleeping arrangements in our dorm rooms for the time being, right?"

Danny gave a grin and sidled up alongside Izzy, waggling his eyebrows with a laugh, "Well Iz, you're more than welcome to share my room."

The Red Ranger sighed in exasperation and gave Danny a firm punch in the shoulder, "People, can we please focus here?"

Amid the petty arguments that began to fill Bishop's office while sorting out the new problems, the other Rangers couldn't help but wonder just how their friends would fare in the mean time, or how they would manage if that Jester were to switch up any more of them. For their sake, they could only hope Pazuzu would show his face again... and soon.


	48. Brains and Brawn

**Episode 24: Part 2  
**

Claire Li panted as she carried the large tank of water across the field and placed it down near the soil plots that Dr. Feldman and a few other agriculture students were busy preparing. As she set town the water and wiped her brow for a moment, she let the brisk autumn air cool her down.

In spite of her situation, Claire had done her best to try and adjust to walking in the shoes of her friend Nick for the day. She had to admit, it was a new and interesting experience being taller, stronger, and more athletic than she had ever been before. Still, she hadn't really considered how Nick often used that size and strength to help others, whether it was retrieving things from high shelves, or helping to carry the heavier equipment around.

Growing up on a farm, he had always been used to hard work that sometimes felt a little thankless. The fact that she rarely heard him complain made her feel a little guilty for taking his good hard working attitude for granted a few days ago. Sure, he could be a little hot-headed, stubborn, and impulsive… traits that she still couldn't understand, but she also knew he was a fiercely loyal friend who was gentle and kind at heart.

"Nick, is everything ok?" she heard Dr. Maggie Feldman call in concern as she walked over to take some water from the fresh tank. "We're going to be spreading the new seeds and taking soil samples soon."

"I… I'm fine," Claire replied shaking her arms out, "Sorry, I just needed another minute to catch my breath. How else can I help?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Nick sat in Claire's Physics class staring dumbly at the quiz in front of him. Despite having been exposed to some of the concepts and equations from his high school classes, he might as well have been trying to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics now. While Nick wasn't a dumb person by any means, he had never been an extremely diligent or detail oriented student either. He never saw the need to focus so hard and try considering every single angle when approaching abstract problems. Why do that, when a straightforward practical solution could normally work just as well?

As he sat continuing to look at the blank paper in front of him, Nick began to realize that it was a trait he sometimes overlooked in his own dealings with the White Ranger. Of course she was his friend and he felt protective of her, but he often didn't consider how her mind would always be working to solve her friends' problems, both on and off the battlefield too. Even if she lacked Nick's physical size and strength, that was still Claire's way of helping to protect the others, and he began feeling bad that he was going to fail her quiz miserably.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the professor call out with a curious look, "Miss Li? Is something wrong?"

Nick looked up to see the other students around him furiously working on their quiz. "Oh… um… no. I'm fine. Everything's fine," he replied picking up his pencil and beginning to fill in random multiple choice answers.

"Sorry Claire," he muttered to himself quietly, "Here goes nothing."

* * *

Later that day, the Rangers met after class at their usual hangout spot in the Mugshot café. When both Claire and Nick entered, they found the others already seated talking amongst themselves.

"Any sign of the monster while we were in class?" Izzy asked the Gold Ranger as the others sat down and drinks came to the table.

Kara shook her head, "I am afraid not. Everything was quiet this morning, and I had been patrolling from the air all afternoon."

Everyone glanced over as Claire and Nick took a sip of the drinks they normally ordered without thinking before exchanging the mugs back to the rightful person.

"So… on that note. How are you two holding up?" Joe asked trying to sound positive and encouraging.

He was met with animated responses from both of his switched friends trying to talk over each other. Claire stopped a minute and cleared her throat, "Wait a second. This is silly. Nick, I actually realized a few new things while being you today, but I'll wait. You go first."

The Green Ranger shook his head and adjusted his glasses, "No. The truth is, I learned quite a bit too. Please Claire, you go."

As the two began to politely argue over who should speak first, Joe rolled his eyes with a gentle sigh as Izzy put a sympathetic hand on his arm, "I think we've got the start of another battle coming on here."

"You've got that right," Danny interrupted pointing to a nearby television, "Looks like Pazuzu just showed up for an encore performance."

The Rangers stopped and watched the screen seeing the demonic harlequin make his way down the streets of Hyperion Falls causing more panic among the civilians.

"All right everyone, now's our chance," Joe said rising from his seat, "Let's stow the arguments for now and get everything back to normal around here."

Before the others could respond, both the Green and White Rangers were already rushing for the door, eager for some payback.

* * *

A little while later, the Cambion Jester Pazuzu skipped down the streets of the city, blasting an occasional beam of energy from his scepter to cause fires or destroy buildings. Amid a crowd of terrified people who fled in his wake, a few brave police officers stood their ground and aimed their pistols at him.

"And just what do you intend to do with those?" the demon smiled in amusement waving his scepter about.

Without waiting, the officers fired their guns but stared in shock as small bouquets of flowers and butterflies popped out of the barrels. Pazuzu only laughed louder as the officers dropped their weapons and fled until six young people rushed from a side alley and confronted the monster on the now empty street.

"All right demon, let's see if you'll still be laughing when I plant my boot up your ass this time!" Nick called out in a challenge with Claire's voice.

"Oh, you're back. What an unpleasant surprise," Pazuzu retorted, "And I see you've brought friends."

"You haven't seen anything yet," Claire called drawing her now Green Keyrune, "Everyone?"

In an instant, the Rangers morphed… everyone except for Nick and Claire. Both Rangers exchanged surprised looks with the others while the harlequin cackled in glee, "Oh, that's too funny! What a failure of a transformation!"

Joe growled at the taunt and drew his gladius, "Nick? Claire? Just sit tight you two. We'll take care of this clown. Rangers?"

The others drew their weapons and charged forward to try and stop Pazuzu, leaving the other two unmorphed Rangers staring dumbly at each other.

"Crap! What now?" Claire asked aloud before Nick snapped his fingers.

"Hey, wait a second! You know how our Keyrunes are connected with the old Archangels, and now to us? Maybe our Keyrunes can still recognize the real us."

Claire stopped and turned to her friend, "Nick, that's… actually a pretty good deduction. Wanna try switching it up?"

Both Rangers exchanged Keyrunes and tried morphing again, this time succeeding in a bright light. Both Pazuzu and the Rangers stopped for a moment to stare as two odd looking Rangers stood ready to join the fight. A tall burly White Ranger cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms. Beside him, was a short Green Ranger with a feminine form wearing a short Ranger skirt.

"This is just way too weird now," Izzy muttered quietly to herself again before the other Rangers were caught off guard. Pazuzu waved his scepter creating a magic blast that swept the other four Rangers away and knocked them down.

"Are you ready to try this again short-stuff?" Nick grinned looking up at his now taller ally.

"Let's go all out and kick his ass!" Claire smiled giving a thumbs up.

As Pazuzu began taunting the two mismatched Rangers, they used their Keyrunes and traced the sigils of Archangels Hashmael and Sandalaphon, summoning their golden powers.

Upon seeing the two super powered Rangers, the harlequin stopped and gulped as they came charging at him. The Jester gasped as he dodged their first charge and tumbled clear, allowing the two Rangers time enough to summon their weapons.

The large male White Ranger held his bow out, aiming at the demon before surprising Pazuzu and firing an icy bolt at the monster's feet. The Jester moved to dodge, but realized too late that as the bolt struck the ground, it turned the soil into a slick sheet of ice. With a cry, Pazuzu slipped on the ice and fell over, suddenly helpless and immobile on the slippery ground.

The shorter female Green Ranger charged forward next and struggled to heft her large warhammer over her head, before bringing it down with a two handed blow. Amid the thundering strike, a wave of jagged slabs of rock erupted in a line, pummeling the demon and hindering his terrain even further.

"All right! Nice work Claire!" Nick cheered pumping a fist and shifting his grip on his hammer.

"You ready to pull the curtain on this two-bit joker?" Claire asked readying her aim again with her bow.

While the other stunned Rangers recovered their senses and rose to their feet, they watched as the harlequin emerged from the rubble and shook off the dust from its bells.

Just then, a bright icy blue bolt erupted from the White Ranger's bow and struck the harlequin dead center. Pazuzu gave a panicked gasp as the arrow erupted and quickly spread, freezing the entire monster in a solid block of ice.

One moment later, the little Green Ranger charged from behind and vaulted off Claire's shoulders with a wing assisted leap. As he reached the peak of his jump, Nick gave a triumphant cry as he brought his warhammer down in a two handed strike. The blow struck the slab of ice with a loud peal causing the ice to crack and shatter, completely destroying the demonic Jester and his scepter within.

As the demon's remains dissipated into black smoke, Nick and Claire exchanged a fist bump before freezing in place. In one dizzying moment, the reversal spell dissipated and both Rangers swayed for a moment, feeling themselves be returned to their own rightful bodies.

The other Rangers hurried over as Nick and Claire both demorphed and stood blinking at each other.

"Nick? Is that you, big guy?" Claire asked hesitantly checking for the glasses over her eyes and her longer hair again.

"Yeah… I'm back," he grinned patting himself down and looking at his hands. "We did it!"

As the others approached, they watched in surprise as the Green and White Rangers began to laugh hysterically in giddy joy while exchanging a hug.

"After all Nick and Claire's bickering these past few days… and now this?" Joe sighed in confusion.

"I'm with Iz on this one," Danny added with a laugh, patting the Red Ranger's shoulder, "This is all way too weird… even for us."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, dying fires gave off a dim glow in the fading light as trails of black smoke curled from the bombed out ruins of the former town. Only the sound of a hollow wind whistled through the ruins as the sound of hooves from four horses made their way through the desolate skeleton of the desert town.

As four shrouded horseman slowly trotted through the streets, the one in black calling himself Death hefted its scythe and seemed to breathe deeply of the air, "The call of this land seems strong brothers. There is much Death, War, Famine, and Disease being spread here."

Just then the Red Horseman calling himself War stopped the others and drew a fearsome axe, "Wait brothers! We are not alone. Show yourself!"

The ghastly horsemen stopped and waited as two entities melted out of the growing shadows and stood before them.

"I must admit, despite the chaos in this war torn place, your four were not easy to find," Shemhazai smiled giving a gracious gesture with her hand. "My fellow demons, I bring you greetings."

"Who are you and what do you want from us?" the White Rider called Pestilence hissed impatiently.

General Abaddon tensed and reached for his weapon, but Shemhazai raised a hand to calm both sides, "I am Lady Shemhazai and this is my companion General Abaddon. We come representing the might of the Cambion Legions in Lord Gideon's name."

"And what does this Lord Gideon want with us?" Death answered calmly, his body language stiff and unreadable.

Shemhazai gave another diabolical smile, "Lord Gideon feels that we may be able to establish a sort of cooperative relationship, or at the very least… a mutual understanding. Would you riders be willing to spare a few moments and listen to my words?"

The Four Horsemen exchanged curious glances before Death nodded slowly, "Speak then Lady Shemhazai, and pray that you don't make us regret giving you our time."

* * *

Later that week, Nick, Claire, and Joe all sat outside on the quad by the Student Union eating lunch together. While the cool autumn air was setting in more, the weather that day was sunny, clear, and mild.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm just glad things are back to normal," Claire sighed as she finished her sandwich and tucked her lunchbag into her backpack.

"I know what you mean," Nick replied as he finished peeling an orange, "Even though I'm glad to be myself again, I have to admit, I learned quite a bit about being in your shoes Claire."

The White Ranger glanced over with a gentle smile as he continued, "You know, I've never really been one to think too much about complex problems or consider things from a very different position than my own... both in a physical and mental sense… I guess I'm just glad we have someone who does… and I'm really sorry if I bombed that Physics quiz for you too."

Claire shook her head laughing gently, "That's ok. It turns out your random guessing actually got me a C grade after all. Not ideal, but I can work with that."

Nick gave a sigh of relief as she spoke again, "You know, I learned a lot from this little experience too. I didn't know what it was like to be relied on by others the same way as you are. I really shouldn't have taken you for granted either when I had you go into the city with me earlier in the week, so I'm sorry too."

"Water under the bridge," Nick answered giving her a little nudge with his elbow.

Glancing at his orange, he said, "Come to think of it, didn't you say you and Joe were going apple picking this afternoon since your classes got cancelled?"

The Red Ranger rose to his feet and helped Claire up too, "Yeah… after what happened a few days ago, we thought it would be best if we just spent a little extra time hanging out together so that we don't feel weird anymore… you know, get things back to normal too?"

Nick smirked a little to himself and playfully rolled his eyes before Joe turned to Claire and said, "You know, even though I didn't do anything wrong, I still kinda feel like I should be apologizing to you too."

"No need to apologize," Claire said with a playful little wink, "To be really honest… your boxers were cute and I kinda liked the view anyway."

Before Joe could sputter out a reply, the White Ranger took his arm and began dragging him back toward the dorms leaving Nick still sitting on the lawn, roaring in laughter.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Hey everyone, I just wanted to squeeze one more episode of Vanguard out this week. More chapters will be on the way after the holidays but in the mean time, here's wishing all of you a safe and happy Christmas and New Years days!**


	49. Enigma

**Episode 25: Part 1  
**

Dr. John Dupre sat back in his seat and rubbed his eyes. It was getting late and the only light that illuminated his large lavish office was that of his desk lamp. With a sigh, he pushed aside the books he was doing research from and glanced at the brand new academic award that sat on his desk. Giving a self satisfied smirk, the arrogant professor reached to turn off the light on his desk when he noticed a new large shadow overlap his on the wall.

He gave a frown and prepared to brush it off as a trick of the mind when he turned his head and locked his eyes with that of a horrible creature. The Cambion demon in his office filled up the corner of the room with its large beastly form, the body of a bull, the front paws of a lion, and a feminine head wearing a mask. Folded upon its back were two large bird wings giving it an even fiercer appearance. While its figure somewhat resembled that of a legendary Egyptian sphinx, the demon padded forward revealing itself to be closer to that of another legendary creature, an Assyrian Lamassu.

Dr. Dupre froze and recoiled backwards at his desk. "What? Who are you? What do you want with me?" he gasped in pure terror.

The demon stepped closer and fixed the professor with its malevolent gaze. As it did, the eyes behind its mask seemed to light up. "I seek a worthy mind to challenge. I understand you are supposed to be quite intelligent... for a mortal."

Dupre trembled and nodded his head meekly. The Lamassu grinned, "Answer my question correctly and no harm shall come to you."

"And if I can't?'

The Lamassu gave a predatory laugh, "Then pray for mercy."

* * *

The Vanguard Rangers groaned as their History class was dismissed for the day and Professor Bishop handed out some directions for their semester term paper. Even Joe, the Ranger who normally got the best grades in History class grimaced as he sat in his seat and looked at the project requirements, "Huh... I'm actually feeling kinda intimidated now."

"Yes. This does look like a rather difficult assignment," Kara commented from a seat behind him idly flipping through her own handout.

Beside her, Nick rolled his eyes and gave the Gold Ranger a light elbow, "Kara, you're not even enrolled in any of these classes. It's not like you have to worry about this anyway."

"True," she replied, "But it cannot stop me from commenting on it anyway."

While the others packed up, they glanced up as the door opened and another familiar teacher at the university entered. She was a pretty red headed woman in her early thirties, a few years younger than Professor Bishop, but a longtime friend and colleague of his nonetheless.

"Hey Dr. Feldman!" Nick called giving a friendly wave to his Botany professor, "What are you doing here?"

Feldman smiled and approached Nick as well as Bishop nearby, "Well Nick, since my afternoon schedule just got cleared up, I came to see if Gabriel here was free to meet me for lunch today."

Bishop stopped in surprise before furrowing his brow, "Oh... geez, I'm sorry Maggie. I'd love to, but I can't today. There's a little bit of an emergency that came up. Do you think we could do a rain check on lunch?"

Dr. Feldman gave a disappointed look but nodded, trying to stay positive, "Oh... sure. That's fine. I guess I should have given you more of a heads up anyway. Um, maybe give me a call later and we'll talk?"

"Sounds great Maggie. Thanks for understanding."

Feldman sighed as she turned to leave, "Really Gabe, don't forget. You've been really busy lately and we haven't caught up in a while."

Bishop gave a guilty nod and raised a contrite hand, "I know, and I'm really sorry Maggie. I promise we'll talk soon."

As she left, the Rangers exchanged curious glances before Bishop approached them wearing a concerned face, "Everyone, I'm afraid I've actually got another special assignment I'd like you to look into with me... including you Kara. Last night, something happened to Dr. John Dupre, a professor of Anthropology here at the University."

"Dr. Dupre? Wasn't he the one who won some prestigious academic award recently?" Claire asked packing up her own books, "I thought you said you hated him professor."

Bishop grimaced for a moment before nodding, "He's a bit full of himself and someone I don't much care for... but he's still a fellow teacher. A night watchman said he was found in his office, in a near coma. The University is saying it was brought on by a sudden stroke."

"But you suspect otherwise?" Danny guessed raising an eyebrow, "Like maybe the work of one of our Cambion friends?"

Bishop's face darkened and he nodded again, "Maybe. Just recently, I heard about two senior professors at a city community college who were reduced to similar conditions after supposed strokes."

"Got it," Joe chimed in, "You want us to go look around and see if we can find any clues about Dupre then?"

"Yes," Bishop answered, "But I'd like to come with you too."

The others stopped and looked at him before Izzy asked, "Are you sure Professor? I mean, I'm sure we can handle this."

Bishop sighed and began moving his students along, "Well... yes. But ever since the five of you recovered your Greater Powers, I just feel like I should be doing a little more to pull my weight now... especially since there's nothing pressing to translate or study."

"Professor, no one here thinks that you're not making a difference," Joe began gently, "Things have just been a little quieter lately so enjoy it."

Bishop shook his head, "Please everyone. I want to do this for me. Just... let me come along?"

After exchanging another hesitant look, all six Rangers shrugged as the Red Ranger led the way, "All right then. First stop, Dr. Dupre's office."

* * *

Later that day, the Rangers made their way into the Natural Sciences hall to begin their investigation. At the far edge of the hallway, the university had posted a young campus security guard to watch over Dr. Dupre's office. As Professor Bishop drew the guard's attention with a litany of questions, Izzy joined in, distracting the guard with an occasional flirtatious smile or gesture.

While the two kept the security guard distracted, the others slipped by and made their way into Dupre's office to look around. Though the office was much larger and more well furnished than what they were used to, they were discouraged to find the office mostly tidy and untouched. Nothing was particularly out of the ordinary.

While Joe and Claire poked around the desk and bookshelves, Danny and Nick inspected the furniture. As they paced around, Danny asked aloud, "You know, I was just thinking... do you guys think Dr. Feldman's got the hots for Professor Bishop?"

Kara looked over in surprise while Nick gave a thoughtful smile, "Hmm, maybe. After all, the two went to grad school together here and have been close friends ever since. Plus, she's always been encouraging him to get out more and stuff."

"It wouldn't hurt him to try," Joe agreed while idly shuffling through some books, "Over the past year, Bishop's really devoted a lot of his blood, sweat, and tears to helping us stop the demons. He should really take some time out for himself sometimes, you know? Maybe going out with Dr. Feldman would be good for him."

"Well I think it's very romantic," Claire added with a smile as she looked over toward the Red Ranger, "Maybe she's been in love with him since grad school and hasn't been able to tell him exactly how she feels."

Danny exchanged a sly knowing glance with Nick before smirking toward the White Ranger. "I think you've been reading too many romance novels Claire."

"Everyone! I think I found something," Kara called, interrupting her friends' discussion. The other four gathered around the Gold Ranger as she knelt down in the corner of the room holding a tuft of hair along with a couple dark feathers.

"Strange," Joe commented with a frown, "I don't remember seeing any pets in here."

Nick glanced at the hair and feathers, "These don't look like they come from any common animals I know either."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Claire chimed in with a grin, "Maybe we can use some of the school's microscopes or equipment in the bio lab. If we can get a science teacher to help us, then all the better."

"Oh? Who did you have in mind?" the Blue Ranger asked curiously.

Claire chuckled and gave him bright smile, "Why, Dr. Feldman of course! I'm sure she spends some time in the school labs running tests too. What do you say?"

"All right Claire. Sounds like a plan," Joe agreed gesturing for the door, "We got what we needed so let's get outta here before anyone else sees us."

As the other Rangers quietly slipped out of the room, Kara couldn't help but take one more curious glance before walking out with them.

* * *

Some time later, the other Rangers walked back across campus with Professor Bishop discussing their findings. As they did, they passed by the large auditorium building on the south end of the main quad and saw a lot of activity there.

"I wonder what's going on today?" Danny asked pointing toward several well dressed students and university catering staff entering. "The auditorium isn't normally so busy during midweek."

"If I remember, there's supposed to be an award banquet going on today for new students who won full academic scholarships," Bishop answered.

As they walked, Claire gave a little sigh, "And to think, I was only a couple points short of winning one of those myself."

Before she could speak again, a loud commotion was heard and the Rangers froze as they watched terrified people begin to flee the auditorium.

"Well Claire, you wanted to go to that banquet? I think you just your chance," Izzy said giving her friend a grim smile and urging the others to take action.

Professor Bishop gave a nod to the others and watched as his students rushed off to face whatever danger was threatening the people left within the auditorium.

Inside the theater, the Cambion Lamassu stalked around the main stage, circling a small group of terrified staff members and freshman honors students. As it flicked its tail threateningly and exposed its claws, the creature gave its prey a playful smile, "Now then? Which one of you is brave enough and smart enough to answer the riddle I just asked?"

Again, the civilians remained silent and cowered before the beast before the Lamassu whipped its head toward one of the Mathematics professors. "You! What is the answer?"

"I... I... I don't know," the professor gasped.

The demon shook its head with a predatory smile, "That's too bad mortal. I suppose you aren't as smart as you thought."

It's eyes glowed with mesmerizing light, casting some magical effect. The math teacher gave another gasp as his own eyes glowed for a moment before he collapsed to stage, twitching.

"Who's next?" the demon asked before a golden blaster shot struck its flank.

"I've got a riddle for you," the morphed Red Ranger called leveling his pistol from the doorway of the auditorium, "What's big, and ugly, and about to be vaporized by the Power Rangers?"

The Lamassu reared around furiously toward him then growled in surprise as Danny, Nick, and Kara leapt from the rafters with spread wings, bringing their weapons down on the demon.

From a side exit, the Pink Ranger burst in and waved the remaining civilians toward her so they could escape while Claire stood nearby keeping them covered with her own blaster pistol.

Giving a growl, the three male Rangers along with Kara struggled to keep the demon beast locked in melee combat until the monster lashed out with its large paws. The Green and Gold Rangers both dove clear while Joe and Danny were knocked backwards into the front row of seats.

Seeing the boys in trouble, Claire and Izzy dove in to help with wing assisted leaps of their own. Before they could land blows of their own, they were surprised as the Lamassu spread open its own bird wings and put them off balance with a powerful gust of air. As Claire dispelled her wings to regain some midair control, she tumbled sideways off into an aisle in an awkward roll.

Meanwhile, the beast flicked a wing and knocked Izzy out of the air sending her tumbling backwards. As the stunned Red Ranger rose to his feet, he gasped and caught Izzy as she fell backwards on top of him sending the two crashing back into the seats.

The demon creature grinned as the Rangers scrambled in disarray, unused to fighting in such tight enclosed spaces. As Danny stepped forward to cover his friends with his spear, the demon's eyes began to glow, preparing to launch a projectile attack when an empty coffee mug smashed into the side of the creature's head.

The Lamassu whirled around in fury to see Professor Bishop standing near the side entrance by an overturned refreshment table. Keeping his eyes locked on the demon, the professor crouched down and picked up a large wooden leg of the destroyed table to use as an improvised club.

"Hey! Get away from them!" Bishop called defiantly rising to his feet and making a threatening motion with his club as he approached.

"Professor! Don't!" Kara called out in concern, "Get to safety with the others!"

The momentary distraction bought Nick just enough time to jump to his feet and summon his warhammer. In one swift swing, he brought the hammer down on one of the beast's hind paws, injuring it.

The demon gave a furious roar and lashed out, with its tail, knocking Bishop over and scattering the Rangers before it spread its wings and took off into the hair. Everyone raised their arms and covered their heads as the Lamassu smashed through a large window overhead and made its escape into the late afternoon sky.

"Professor Bishop, are you hurt?" Kara asked hurrying over to his side and helping him sit up.

"Don't worry Kara. I'm ok," he grunted, shaking off the fall.

The Gold Ranger shook her head, "That was very reckless Professor! You didn't have to do that!"

"You kids were in trouble. I had to do something."

Nearby, Joe and Izzy groaned as they got back up to their feet with the help of Nick and Claire. Surveying the damage to the auditorium and the skylights, Danny lowered his spear and stepped forward taking momentary command, "Let's be glad we're all still in one piece right now. Kara, take care of Professor Bishop and get those samples to Dr. Feldman with Claire. Nick and I will do damage control here and make sure Joe and Izzy aren't too shaken up."

"Danny, I'll be fine. Don't worry," Bishop protested but the Blue Ranger shook his head.

"Professor, I know you want to help, but you've done enough for one day. Let the rest of us take care of the legwork on this for now, ok?"

Bishop sighed and nodded his head, letting Kara help him out the door while the other Rangers hurried to regroup after their sudden and unexpected battle with the mysterious new demon.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Happy New Years everyone! I just thought I'd put out a chapter just in case anyone is going to be stuck at home tonight or in need of something to read. Otherwise, I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday weekend!**


	50. The Professor Who Knew Too Much

**Episode 25: Part 2  
**

The next morning, Professor Bishop, Kara, and Claire made their way into the university's Biology labs. To their relief, they found Dr. Feldman there looking over some slides of plant samples under a microscope.

She stopped and looked up in surprise as she put down her lab notes, "Oh! Gabe... girls. This is a surprise. I wasn't expecting to see you here today."

"Hi Maggie," Bishop smiled hesitantly, "I uh... came because my student Claire here was hoping she could get some help from you."

The White Ranger stepped forward with two little plastic bags containing the hair and feather samples from Dr. Dupre's office as well as some from the auditorium yesterday. "That's right Professor. I've got something here for uh... Biology class and I was hoping you could help show me some advanced ways to prep these samples and get more data out of them."

Feldman gave a flattered smile, "Oh... well, of course! I'd be happy to help you Claire. If it's one of Gabriel's students, then I don't mind at all."

"Awesome! Thanks Dr. Feldman," the White Ranger smiled giving a wave to the others, "Ok. I'll take it from here you two. I'll let you know when I get my results."

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?" Bishop asked, but Kara took his arm and spun him around toward the door, "I think Claire will be fine here cousin. Let's get going? You still have some papers to grade, right?"

Bishop sighed and let the Gold Ranger drag him out the door, but not before catching one last amused smile and wave from Maggie. "Oh, and don't forget, I'll give you a call later about catching up this week, ok?"

Bishop stopped and gave a neutral shrug before heading out the door with Kara while Claire could only shake her head in the background.

Once out on the quad, Bishop looked to Kara in mild annoyance before saying, "You know, I almost think you Rangers are trying to keep me from being involved in your fight against the demons now."

"We are trying to keep you from unnecessary harm or exertion Professor," Kara replied flatly.

Bishop grumbled, "Kara, I'm not some helpless old man or an invalid. I can still play a role here."

"And you do," Kara answered looking to him directly with her blue eyes, "Professor, the others had already mentioned this the other day, but you are a valuable member of our team. I know you feel a little left out since the Rangers gained their Greater Powers from Atlantis, but you still have a lot to contribute."

The professor shrugged, "Oh really? Like what?"

Kara thought for a long moment, "We recovered quite a few artifacts from the temple in Atlantis. Perhaps there is more valuable knowledge to be found by studying them. You might not have Ranger powers or the ability to stand alongside us in battle, but you help make up for the one thing Archangel Auriel said we Rangers lacked: Wisdom."

Bishop gave a curious look to his adopted cousin as they kept walking. Kara cleared her throat, "Professor, we Rangers look to you for your valuable wisdom and guidance, just like we rely on Nick for his strength, Claire for her intellect, or Joe for his leadership, to name a few examples."

Bishop softened and gave a small nod, "Maybe you're right Kara, but I just feel so helpless sometimes. There are times I wish there was more I could do to help you six. The danger is only growing and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"The rest of us feel the same way toward you," the Gold Ranger said, "I understand how you have developed some paternal feelings toward all of us. A good father is willing to give a lot of himself for his children, as does a good teacher for his students."

"Of course," Bishop replied, "The six of you know that I'm willing to make those sacrifices."

Kara fixed him with a pointed look, "Professor, I think the other Rangers feel that you shouldn't sacrifice too much of yourself or your time without good reason. The others have the same commitment to fighting the Cambion, but they still try to find time to live their lives outside of being Rangers. I think they sometimes want you to live for yourself too. Find something that makes you happy or will make your life more fulfilling."

"Like what?" Bishop asked curiously.

Kara stopped a moment and thought, "Well... for one thing, the other Rangers seem to be of the opinion that you could start by pursuing romantic relationships again... perhaps one with Dr. Feldman?"

Bishop stopped and gave a surprised look before clearing his throat, "Really... they said that?"

Kara gave a hesitant shrug, "Even if I'm sharing a home with you now, it's still not good to be alone so much Professor. You said the same to me when you encouraged me to make friends with the other Rangers."

Turning to the Gold Ranger he gave a careful look, "I did, didn't I?"

After a pause, he said, "Considering you kind of are my adopted cousin now... what do you think?"

She gave a pensive frown for a moment before looking back to him, "I think it would be a good idea to try. Dr. Feldman is a nice woman and a friend of yours too. She seems to genuinely care about you."

Bishop chewed his lip for a moment, keeping his face neutral, "I see. Thanks Kara. I'll keep that in mind. In the mean time, maybe we should start trying to do some research on that thing that attacked campus yesterday, what do you think?"

* * *

Later that afternoon, the Rangers reconvened in the Rookery Building to hear about Claire's findings from the lab. As they gathered in Bishop's office, the White Ranger passed the Professor her lab printout. "Well everyone, it looks like we were right. The fur and feather samples we found in Dr. Dupre's office match the same ones from the demon in the auditorium. What's even more curious is the fact that the samples suggest it's some sort of composite creature. There's definitely some DNA of oxen, lion, and bird in that thing."

"Well it was talking about some kind of riddle and challenge," Joe said crossing his arms, "Wouldn't that make it kinda like a sphinx from ancient mythology?"

Bishop smiled and quickly paged through a book, "Except it's not. If Claire is right, then the demon's animal traits more closely align with a Lamassu, a mythical creature of the ancient Assyrians. While they weren't the same as the sphinx we know of today, they were still similar creatures and were often very ancient and wise. Perhaps it helped inspire the later myths."

"Don't forget. It was powerful too," Nick added grimly, "That thing was super strong and seemed to shrug off most of our blows pretty easily."

Izzy sighed, "I'd be more concerned with what that thing is up to. If we assume that's what got those community college professors too, then the victims all have a similar curse placed on them. Both Dr. Dupre and that Math professor from yesterday were put into comas and they seem almost brain drained."

"Maybe that's what the Lamassu is after," Kara chimed in, making everyone stop and look at her, "It's been going around searching for brilliant minds to challenge with its riddles. Maybe it's draining those people's intellectual power to make itself stronger and smarter."

The Blue Ranger gave a thoughtful look, "All right. Let's assume that's true for a minute. Does the key to defeating that thing lie in answering its riddle, and if so, what is it? I seem to remember that the mythological sphinx was defeated when someone answered it correctly."

Bishop shook his head, "No. For you Rangers, it's probably best that you don't risk letting the Lamassu challenge you. Nick was able to injure it, so that means using force is still an option."

Joe pondered it over for long moment before giving a serious nod, "All right. The question becomes, how do we track down the demon and stop it before it attacks another person?"

"Well, we know that the Lamassu has been targeting exceptionally smart people," Claire reasoned, "This university is already a prime hunting ground with plenty of honors students and stuck up professors... um, present company excluded."

Bishop wasn't paying much attention to Claire's last sentence as he looked to his watch and quickly began checking his phone.

"Uh, Professor? Is something wrong?" Izzy asked in confusion.

Bishop frowned at his phone, then looked to the Pink Ranger in growing concern. "I don't know. I had completely lost track of time with our meeting here and just realized Maggie was supposed to give me a call about meeting later this week. She's half an hour late, which is very unlike her."

"Whoah, the Professor's got a date with Dr. Feldman?" Danny smiled.

Nick groaned and gently shoved his friend, "Pay attention preppy. That's not what he's worried about."

Joe pushed past the others and gripped his Keyrune, heading for the door, "Let's get moving Rangers, and stay alert. If Dr. Feldman really is in trouble, then we've got to get ready to take on that monster again."

Bishop watched for a moment as his Rangers hurried out of the office. Screwing up his courage and taking a deep breath, he headed for the door and quickly made his way after them.

* * *

Racing back across campus from the air, the morphed Vanguard Rangers swooped in low over a grassy plaza leading from the Biology labs. They were just in time to see the familiar form of the monstrous Cambion Lamassu stalking about over the now fallen form of Dr. Feldman. As they quickly descended onto the lawn, they were relieved that there wasn't any blood or bruises, but the Botany professor seemed to be in some catatonic state.

"Rangers, there you are," it purred, "I was hoping I could get a chance to pay you back from our last skirmish."

"Oh you'll get one," Nick answered angrily as the Rangers drew their weapons, "But first you're going to tell us what you did to Dr. Feldman."

The Lamassu grinned, "The woman? Why, the same thing I did to all my other victims. I drained her mental power when she couldn't answer my riddle. You'd be amazed how valuable all this new knowledge will be to Lord Gideon."

The only riddle I'm interested in, is how fast it will be to destroy a messed up creature like you," Danny retorted.

The demon growled and began to charge its own projectile attack from its eyes.

"If you're a composite monster, then we're gonna take you out with a composite weapon," Joe growled signaling the others with his weapon. In an instant, the Vanguard Rangers grouped up and combined their weapons to form their Radiant Arbalest.

As the six took aim at the Lamassu and braced themselves, they suddenly heard Bishop approach and cry out in alarm, "No! Rangers, don't attack it head on!"

Before he could call out again, the Lamassu unleashed its powerful energy attack from its eyes as the Rangers fired their own weapon. The two beams collided against each other with a thunderous explosion. To the Rangers' horror, the Lamassu's beam weapon overpowered their own Arbalest and swept back over them, scattering them in a second fiery back blast.

As the six stunned Rangers lay on the ground struggling to come to their senses, the demon beast stalked closer with a laugh, "Ignorant humans! Did you really think you could overpower me? Did you really believe I wouldn't be able to out-think you first and prepare for such an attack? Now, I'll finish what all of Lord Gideon's other servants were unable to do."

"Stop right there!" came the loud voice of Professor Bishop. The demon turned its gaze over to the History professor who bravely stepped forward and stood in between the Cambion beast and his downed students. "If you think you're so smart and superior, then you won't be afraid to accept the challenge of a lowly human."

The Lamassu stopped and eyed Bishop curiously, "You wish to take up arms against me too?"

Bishop shook his head, "No. I challenge you to a battle of wits! You've been seeking a worthy human to answer your riddle. Well, then I accept. If you win, you can take my mental energy as well."

"Professor... don't do it!" Joe croaked nearby while feebly trying to rise.

"Silence Ranger!" the demon roared at him. "Very well human. I accept."

Bishop turned to his Rangers with a steady look, "Just hold on Rangers. Now it's my turn to protect all of you."

The Lamassu cocked its head sideways and gave an inquisitive look, "Answer if you dare human.  
The beginning of eternity. The end of time and space. The beginning of every end, and the end of every place. What am I?"

Bishop listened carefully and stood in silence, considering the puzzle. The Rangers held their collective breaths as a long minute passed and a haze hung over the battlefield. Finally, the Lamassu growled quietly, "Speak now human. My patience grows thin."

Bishop raised a hand, still thinking. He knew riddles were rarely literal or straightforward, and he knew that the Cambion were fond of playing unfair tricks as well. That was what his own experience and wisdom had taught him, which is why he was suddenly able to come up with an answer.

"I've got it," he said with a confident smile, "You are the Letter E."

As he said that, the Lamassu's eyes went wide and it stared in incredulous shock. Everyone continued to watch as the demon began to tremble and shake violently, "No! This can't be!"

The demon gave a furious roar as it began to glow and motes of bright energy drained away from the creature, zipping off into different directions. Presumably, it was all the mental energy the beast had stolen, now returning to their original owners.

"No! You can't take them from me!" the Lamassu wailed collapsing to its front paws as the last mote of energy returned to Dr. Feldman laying nearby.

"I can, and I did," Professor Bishop said grimly as he slowly lifted the Rangers' fallen Arbalest by himself and began to take aim at the head of the monster. "I'm not going to let you harm any more people I care about. Not Dr. Feldman, my students, or the Power Rangers."

"You intend to finish me all by yourself then?" the demon said with a weak mocking laugh.

"Not by himself," the Red Ranger answered as he and the other Rangers rose up and gathered around Bishop, "He's one of us, so he's never alone."

Bishop looked in surprise as the six Rangers supported him and steadied his aim with the Arbalest. "Everyone… thank you."

"Now's your chance Professor," Kara called loading the weapon and bracing herself. Bishop gave a determined nod and pulled the trigger, firing another powerful bolt of celestial energy at the weakened monster. The Lamassu shrieked as the bolt of white hot light struck its face and burned away its mask, revealing a hideous face before the entire creature was vaporized into smoke and ash.

As the smoke cleared, Bishop dropped the Arbalest and hurried over to Dr. Feldman who was still laying on the ground. The other Rangers watched quietly as Bishop knelt down and gently cradled Feldman's head, hoping to revive her. "Maggie! Maggie? Are you ok?"

The Botany professor stirred a moment before a soft groan escaped her lips and her eyes fluttered open, "Gabe? Is that you?"

The History professor broke into a relieved smile to see his old friend safe again, "Oh thank God! Maggie! I was so worried!"

She sat up and glanced over toward the Rangers who stood quietly off to the side before looking again to Bishop. "Gabriel... you saved me from that monster, and you helped the Power Rangers?"

Bishop nodded with an emotional smile, "Of course Maggie. You've always been such a good friend to me. I know I'm not always good when it comes to these sorts of things and I mess up a lot of times, but I couldn't let you, or my students, or anyone else I care about get hurt."

Dr. Feldman broke into a tearful smile and threw her arms around Bishop's neck, crying into his shoulder while hugging him, "Oh Gabe."

After a long moment, Bishop said quietly, "Maggie, I know this is kind of an unusual time to say this, but seeing what that monster did to you made me feel a lot of things... and I was hoping we could get more of a chance to talk about that over dinner this weekend? Just the two of us?"

Feldman gave him another smile and nodded, hugging him again.

While Professor Bishop sat holding his friend on the remains of the battlefield, the other Vanguard Rangers watched happily from nearby.

"Good for them," Nick grinned as Claire and Izzy exchanged quiet girlish squeals of excitement.

"You know what? I think those crazy kids are gonna be ok after all," Danny chuckled toward Joe, "What do you think boss?"

The Red Ranger simply gave a quiet smile and nodded to the others as he called his wings, "I think we should all clear out now and give our teachers a little privacy. Come on."

While Bishop continued to hold Maggie in his arms, he glanced up to the sky and caught sight of six angelic Rangers departing the battlefield. That was a good sign, he thought to himself and for the first time that day, he couldn't help but give a bright genuine smile.

* * *

Later that week, a chilly gust of wind whistled at the window while Professor Gabriel Bishop sat within his small cozy office poring over his research. Despite the cold gray October skies outside, a warm fire crackled in the fireplace to ward off the chill while the professor hunched over an old musty book. After all of the chaotic Ranger battles that past summer and the start of a new school year, Bishop finally had some time to begin studying the artifacts and records he had recovered from the Rangers' jaunt through the City of Atlantis.

Across the room, Kara sat on the couch near the fireplace writing on a notepad to help translate some of the more obscure symbols of the Empyrian language. The Gold Ranger glanced up as she heard a knock at the door and saw her friend and fellow Ranger Joe peek inside.

"Hey Professor," he smiled giving a friendly wave, "I know your office hours are almost over, but I had some questions about that term paper you assigned our class."

"Hi Joe. Come on in," Bishop smiled giving his student a wave, "I'm actually glad you're here. I was looking over our goodies from Atlantis and I came across something you might find interesting."

Joe walked into the office and greeted Kara before approaching the Professor. As he poked at some Atlantean baubles on the desk, Bishop handed him an ornate ceremonial dagger. The sheath was made of gold and the grip was accented with a soft cloth colored a deep red.

"Very cool," Joe smiled admiring the dagger for a moment, "Is this a new Ranger weapon or something?"

Bishop shook his head and pointed at the engravings on the sheath. "No, but take a look at these markings."

The Red Ranger studied it for a moment as Kara walked over to join them. "The shape of this engraving… almost looks like some kind of horn."

"Exactly," Kara smiled, "Professor Bishop and I believe that this may be a clue to Auriel's Trumpet."

"Auriel?" Joe asked in surprise, "The same Archangel who my Keyrune belonged to? The High Commander of Eden's armies himself?"

Bishop nodded and flipped open some of his newest translated notes, "I've been going deeper into the details of the Empyrian records and I came across a soldier's account of a major battle during the war with the Cambion. In it, the record hinted that Commander Auriel had a special edge in battle."

Joe gave a questioning look as Bishop continued, "We know that the other Archangel heroes who fought alongside Auriel were very powerful. We've seen that when you've summoned your powers already. But why do you suppose Auriel was called the greatest of Eden's warriors, and how do you think he was able to strike down Gideon the first time?"

"He ate his angel Wheaties?" Joe chuckled until Kara gave him a sharp punch in the arm and a reproachful frown.

"There had been stories among my people that Commander Auriel possessed a magnificent clarion trumpet," she said, "They say he used it call the Heavenly Hosts to battle and it was guarded by his honorary Herald. With that trumpet Commander Auriel could become a pure force of fiery light so that no demon could ever hope to stand before him."

"Hey, I like the sound of that already," Joe said with an impressed smile, "With something like that in our arsenal, there's no way Gideon will be able to win."

"Remember Joe, you are still only a human and Auriel was a powerful warrior angel." Kara said seriously "I mean no offense by that, but assuming we had the trumpet, its powers might still be too much for you to control."

"Fair enough, but as long as it stays out of the enemy's hands, then that's good enough for me," the Red Ranger nodded, "Where is this trumpet supposed to be anyway?"

"I'm afraid we're still working on that," Bishop sighed pushing aside his research, "But it will give me something to do and I'll be sure to let you know when I find out more. In the mean time, how about we get to work tackling that term paper, hmm?"


	51. See No Evil

**Episode 26: Part 1  
**

Isabel Herrera gave a warm smile as she watched the small group of elementary school children hurry to take their seats in the classroom as the school bell rang. Today was going to be her first day of working as a teacher's assistant. As a requirement for her Education major, she was to begin getting classroom experience and eventually doing more student teaching next year when she was a Junior.

The classroom was adorned with upcoming Halloween decorations and at the front blackboard, the older teacher Mrs. Pierce quieted the children before gesturing over toward Izzy, "Class, today we have a special visitor. She's studying to become a teacher and will be helping out in the classroom for the next few months. I'd like you all to be on your best behavior and please welcome Miss Herrera."

The Pink Ranger gave a smile and wave to the children as they all chorused, "Good morning Miss Herrera."

As Izzy looked over the room, she heard the kids muttering amongst each other, some of the girls commenting on how pretty she looked, while other boys wondered if she would be mean. For a moment, her eyes fell on a smaller looking girl with blonde pigtails who seemed to have a glum face and look a little distracted.

Izzy's curiosity was interrupted as Mrs. Pierce cleared her throat and looked over the room, "Ok class, now pull out your pencils and erasers. We're going to be going over some more subtraction problems today. Isabel, could you help pass out the worksheets?"

* * *

Later that day during the lunch hour, Izzy made her way out to the playground where the students filtered out to after eating. As she passed by a few older kids playing a game of tag in the chilly October air, she spotted a group of children circling the same small blonde girl with pigtails from her class.

When she approached, she heard a chorus of their laughing and taunting voices, "Geez Laurel, you're such a baby. I can't believe you're too scared to come with. Chicken! Chicken!"

As they taunted her, Laurel held up her two purple mittens over her ears to try and ignore them.

"Hey! _Basta ya!_ (Stop it) Break it up already," Izzy called out sharply as she walked over with a frown. The other children took one look at the student teacher and immediately stopped before dispersing in a hurry.

The Pink Ranger softened her expression and knelt down to speak to the little girl whose lip was now quivering. "Hey Laurel, is everything ok?" she asked gently, "Those kids weren't bullying you, were they?"

"No Miss Herrera."

Izzy fixed her with a pointed look making Laurel relent a little, "Ok, maybe a little... but they're kinda right about me being a big scaredy cat."

"Why?"

The little girl took a deep breath and sighed, "Some of the older kids said that they saw a fairy by the park near the school. They say that if you follow it into the woods there, it becomes a beautiful fairy princess and could grant you a wish. But the woods are scary."

The Pink Ranger sighed and shook her head, "Well, I wouldn't believe that. It sounds like they're just making up a big story to tease other kids with."

"But still I don't want the other kids to think I'm a scared little baby," the girl protested, "And they're only going to make more fun when they see my Halloween costume later this month."

Izzy decided to try and change the subject to take the girl's mind off the crazy story, "Oh really? What are you going to be for Halloween?"

Laurel stopped a moment and smiled, "I'm going to be the Pink Power Ranger! The one who flies around this city and saves people!"

Izzy suddenly gave a bright smile and pointed at her pink blouse under her coat, "Oh? Well pink is my favorite color and I happen to be a big fan of her too."

The little girl nodded, "Really? I wish I could be just like the Pink Ranger sometimes. She's so brave, and strong, and pretty."

Izzy couldn't help but blush a little, "Oh, don't worry. I'm positive you'll grow up to be just like her. Plus, I think she already knows how much you admire her too."

"Really? How?"

Izzy leaned closer to Laurel with a smile and said quietly, "I think you met one of my friends last winter around Christmas time. His name was Joe and he had a red scarf. He found your gloves in the city and you told him how much you love Power Rangers, remember?"

Laurel frowned a moment before remembering, "Oh yeah! When my Mommy was in the hospital. Is he your boyfriend or something Miss Herrera?"

The Pink Ranger chuckled in slight embarrassment before correcting her, "No. He's just a very good of friend from my school, but he told me later that he actually got a chance to meet the Pink Ranger and he passed along your message."

"Cool!" Laurel smiled, "Now I just wish I could invite her to my class Halloween party next week."

At that, the recess bell rang and Izzy rose, leading Laurel back inside the school, "I'm sure she'd love to come if she could, but right now, it's time for you to go back to class."

* * *

Later that week, Izzy took a seat at the Mugshot café back on campus to join her fellow Rangers over a cup of coffee. Danny and Kara were still ordering at the counter and the others chatted idly while they waited.

"So Iz, how is student teaching going?" Claire asked curiously as she pulled some lint off her white hooded sweater.

"So far so good," the Pink Ranger smiled, "Oh, and Joe... it turns out that little girl you helped in the city last winter is in my class. Remember Laurel? The Pink Ranger fangirl?"

"How about that?" Joe chuckled as Kara and Danny took seats beside him. "Fate is pretty strange sometimes, huh?"

"Do you know what else is strange?" Kara chimed in brandishing a newspaper she had been reading. "It would seem a few students from that same school were hurt just the other day."

The other Rangers turned and looked at her curiously as she began to paraphrase the article she had been reading, "According to this paper, five children, all students at Meadowlark Elementary School went wandering through the nearby woods. No one was seriously harmed but three of them fell down a steep incline and broke a few bones."

"What the heck were those young kids doing?" Danny asked with a frown, "Don't they know its dangerous?"

Kara turned back to the paper, "It says here they were playing some kind of game or looking for something..."

"A fairy," Izzy interjected making everyone turn to glance at her in surprise.

The Pink Ranger stopped and continued, "Laurel actually told me that some of the children were telling stories about some kind of beautiful fairy princess in the woods... that if you found her, she'd grant you a wish."

"I know little kids make up stories all the time," Joe said with a serious expression, "But I don't like the sound of that... especially when we've had so many Cambion demons running around since last year."

"Yeah, but it does sound a little creepy too," Claire added with a shiver, "I mean, last year we had a devil dog running loose and maybe now some supernatural lady in the woods... right around Halloween time?"

The Pink Ranger surprised everyone by setting down her mug firmly, "Then there's only one way to be sure. We'll have to go check it out for ourselves."

"It could be nothing," Kara said raising an eyebrow, "Perhaps just children causing trouble and making up stories."

Izzy shook her head, "Maybe, but it doesn't matter. If I'm going to be a teacher, then its still my job to help protect them. Are you guys with me?"

Danny nodded and put an encouraging hand on her shoulder, "Count me in Iz. I'll help you."

The Red Ranger took a sip of his coffee and set his cup down, "I will too. As for the rest of you, stay on alert just in case. Hopefully Kara is right about all this and it will be nothing serious."

* * *

The next day, Izzy stood in the park near Meadowlark Elementary. As she waited for Joe and Danny to arrive, she glanced up at the fading orange light of the sky. The days had already begun growing shorter and she wondered for a moment if taking a walk through the dark woods was a good idea. It was then that she saw Laurel across the street giving her a smile and a wave goodbye to help her brush aside her worry.

She was a Power Ranger. She'd be with some of her friends and they had to make sure no more children would get hurt. A few minutes later, the Red and Blue Rangers arrived and joined her.

"Hey Iz, ready to go?" Danny asked as he huddled into his navy blue jacket and followed along into the tree line.

Joe glanced up at the skies and pulled out his Keyrune, igniting it with a soft red light as they entered the forest, "We're not going to have a whole lot of sunlight left. Let's keep on the lookout and watch our footing."

Time passed and the three friends made their way deeper into the woods. As the shadows grew longer, Danny and Izzy stayed close to the light of the Red Keyrune while leaves crunched underfoot and a hollow wind whistled through several barren trees.

"You know... Claire was kinda right," Danny muttered, "With Halloween coming up, this does feel a little creepy now."

Izzy cast an uneasy look toward her fellow Rangers, "If it's not a demon, you guys don't actually think there's some kind of ghost that looks like a fairy, do you? That these woods are haunted?"

"Will you two knock it off?" Joe said with a mild frown as he walked, trying not to show the uneasiness his friends were starting to make him feel, "So far we haven't seen anything weird. You're both just letting your imaginations get the best of you."

Just then Danny grabbed Joe's arm and spun him sideways, "If that's the case, then how do you explain that?"

The three Rangers stopped and froze as they spotted a flickering orb of light bobbing along and dancing through the dark woods up ahead. Before either of the boys could speak again, Izzy hurried forward and drew her Keyrune, "Come on! Let's get to the bottom of this!"

"Iz! Wait up! Don't rush in without us!" Joe called in frustration as she took off.

Danny clapped his shoulder and urged him on as the two boys gave chase after her and the flickering light.

Up ahead, the will-o-the-wisp continued to flicker and bob, leading the Pink Ranger on and she gave thanks to her natural grace and agility to dodge around all the roots and branches underfoot. As she caught up to the light, she halted as the light stopped and shone brighter with a gentle white glow. Staring in wonder, Izzy watched as a figure began to materialize from the light.

A beautiful woman with long golden hair and gentle features beckoned to her as the long white flowing dress she wore wavered in the air. The Pink Ranger stood mesmerized by the enchanting being as Joe and Danny caught up. When they did, they each saw a different figure take shape from the light. To the Red Ranger, a devilish Cambion creature began to materialize while Danny blinked and saw a ghostly skeletal creature wearing ragged robes instead.

Before they could call out, the boys ran face-first into a magical barrier and fell over backwards in surprise. While they both lay stunned, Izzy found herself slowly stepping toward the unearthly lady as the being extended its arm.

"Who… are you?" the Pink Ranger asked.

The Lady in White regarded her with a neutral expression before a small smile curled on her lips.

"Izzy! Look out!" Danny shouted, breaking the Pink Ranger out of her trance as she saw an old rotted out tree from nearby creak and fall towards her.

Izzy gasped and threw herself sideways, tumbling clear of the tree trunk as it crashed loudly into the ground. By now, the light had faded and the "fairy princess" was nowhere to be seen.

Danny was the first one to her side and hurried to help her up, "Izzy! Are you ok? You scared us!"

He gave a look of genuine concern as she shook her head from her daze and nodded, "Yeah… I'm alright. I don't really know what happened back there. One minute, I was trying to talk to that fairy, the next minute a tree comes falling down on my head."

"Fairy? That thing was a monster" Joe called over doing a sweep of the area with his lit Keyrune.

"No it wasn't, it looked more like a ghost," Danny corrected him, " But whatever that was, we'd better not stick around."

"But Danny, what are we going to do if that thing was dangerous?" Izzy protested.

"We'll come back and get to the bottom of this," the Red Ranger reassured her gently, "But before we do that, we need to regroup with the others and figure out what we're up against first. I don't know about you guys, but I'm starting to feel a little spooked right now."

The Pink Ranger gave a tentative nod and began to follow her two friends out of the forest, but not before taking one last glance at the fallen tree and giving a quiet shudder.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **This is just one more filler/character episode before things start coming together and escalating into another major story arc. You may also recognize the little girl Laurel is a returning character from Chapter 14.  
**

 **For anyone who also reads PR Oceania, here's a quick heads up. Another chapter is on the way, so don't worry. I'll be updating it after Part 2 of this story, hopefully later this week. See you then!**


	52. Into the Woods

**Episode 26: Part 2  
**

Early the next morning, the Vanguard Rangers met in their dormitory cafeteria to eat breakfast and discuss their experience in the forest. After hearing their differing accounts, Claire frowned thoughtfully, "It's very strange that the three of you each saw something different. Do you really think that thing was malicious?"

"Well it nearly dropped a tree on Izzy," Danny replied flatly as he took a bite of his pancakes, "And it tried to keep the two of us away with some force field too."

Kara stirred the remainder of cereal in her bowl before speaking up, "Demon or not, it sounds like some sort of shape shifter. I suspect that it's taking on different appearances to lure victims in, or perhaps in your case, project the fears that were in your minds."

"It makes some sense," Nick conceded with a shrug, "You each saw an image of what you were expecting to see. If those grade school kids got hurt looking for trouble, there's bound to be a really juicy rumor going around there to tempt more kids into going to look for themselves."

"We can't let that happen!" the Pink Ranger protested firmly.

"And we won't," Joe nodded quietly as he put down his fork, "If that's the case, then we'll all go ghost hunting again after classes today. In the mean time, Kara maybe you can go try to go dig up more information about what this thing could be, and hopefully Professor Bishop can help."

"And since I'll be student teaching today, I'll keep an eye out at the school to make sure no other kids wander off into the forests," Izzy added, "It's the least I can do from my end."

* * *

Another day at the elementary school passed without incident as Izzy helped clean up the classroom and the children left for the day. As she began erasing the chalkboard, she was surprised to see Laurel come back bundled up in her coat along with a pink backpack decorated with butterflies.

"Laurel? Is something wrong?" the Pink Ranger asked glancing over curiously as she cleaned.

The little girl shook her head, "No Miss Herrera. My dad is coming to pick me up a little later so I'm going to be with some of the other kids on the playground until then."

"Well, just make sure you don't go off into the woods looking for that fairy ok?" Izzy said putting some books back on the shelf, "You know that some of the older kids fell and got hurt doing that recently."

"Ok. I won't," Laurel said as Izzy gave a warm smile and nodded.

"Great. Now go run along and play. I've still got some work to do here."

Laurel hurried out of the school and onto the playground where some of the other kids were waiting for their rides home. After a short while, one of the kids called the others over and pointed to the treeline. "Hey look! Do you guys see that light?"

The other children stopped and watched as a flickering ball of light bobbed and floated around the edge of the trees.

"Hey! That must be the magic fairy!" one of the other girls exclaimed, "Do you think we should go try to catch it and get a wish?"

Laurel frowned for a moment, "I don't know guys. Miss Herrera said we shouldn't because it might be dangerous."

"Ohh, Miss Herrera said so," some of the other children called beginning to mock her, "Teacher's pet. Teacher's pet. I'll bet you're just a big chicken."

"I'm not scared!" Laurel huffed back angrily at her classmates.

"Then prove it," one of the other girls challenged her.

Laurel stopped and thought. Didn't Miss Herrera say that she could grow up to be big and strong and brave just like the Pink Ranger? There's no way she or any of the other Power Rangers would be scared of a little fairy, right? She would show the other kids and prove that she could be brave just like her favorite Ranger.

Taking a deep breath, the little girl began to walk toward the trees and follow the glowing orb of dancing light into the edge of the woods. As she did, the ball of light stopped and began to take a physical shape. Laurel stared in wonder at the mysterious creature before her eyes went wide in fear and she gave a loud shriek.

* * *

After finishing her chores in the classroom, Izzy walked outside the school just as the other Rangers arrived to begin their second investigation. As she joined them, she saw the others pull out flashlights and extra batteries from their backpacks just in case. Walking up to Joe, she gave a little laugh, "Hey, didn't you dress up as a Ghostbuster for Halloween last year? No jumpsuit this time?"

Joe gave a sly grin and flipped open his messenger bag revealing a Feather Stinger pistol inside, "No proton pack either, but I think this may work just as well."

As he tucked his gun away, the Rangers saw a group of panicked school children run up and gather around Izzy. "Miss Herrera! We need your help! Laurel's in trouble! Hurry!"

The Rangers exchanged worried looks as Izzy frowned, "Hold on a minute. Slow down. Tell me what happened."

"It was the fairy!" one of the girls cried frantically, "We saw it again and we dared Laurel to go look at it. She walked into the trees and then we heard her scream so we ran back here!"

The Pink Ranger glanced to her friends before giving a nod, "Ok, my friends and I will all go looking for Laurel. In the mean time, I want all of you to stay here in front of school and don't move. Kara, do you think you could stay here and look after the children for me?"

The Gold Ranger nodded and gave a stern look to the kids making them all immediately fall into line. Grabbing Danny by the arm and pulling him along, Izzy called, "Come on everyone! We've got to hurry and find Laurel!"

The five Vanguard Rangers rushed across the street and charged into the woods as it began to grow darker and more ominous looking. Spreading out into a search party line, the Rangers hurried along, crunching through fallen leaves while overturning small rocks and clumps of foliage looking for the lost girl.

As the skies grew dark and the Rangers lit up their flashlights, Joe stopped and called out to the others, "Everyone! I found something!"

The Rangers gathered around with worried looks as he bent down and picked up a pair of familiar purple mittens from the ground. "I remember these gloves. These are Laurel's."

Claire stepped closer in concern, "Do you think she's still ok?"

Everyone turned again as Izzy cast her flashlight forward and spotted another clue. A small pink backpack with butterflies lay on the ground over a tree stump.

"This is her backpack too," Izzy said inspecting it quickly. To her relief, she didn't see any blood or signs of violence on it. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say she might be leaving us a trail."

"Laurel's a smart little girl then," Danny nodded grimly helping Izzy stand, "Better than leaving us breadcrumbs too. This must mean we're getting very close."

As the Rangers pressed on in the growing darkness, Nick stopped the others as a bright will o the wisp appeared in the near distance as if taunting the Ranger. "Look! There it is!"

The five gave chase and began racing up an inclined path in the forest. Izzy dashed to the front of the group and saw what looked to be the figure of Laurel break free of the light and run over a wooded hill up ahead. As she reached the crest of the dark forest hill, the Pink Ranger gave a gasp as she ran straight off a steep slope and found herself flailing in midair. It had been another illusion.

The glowing illusion of Laurel floated, hovering away from the edge of the slope as the other Rangers skidded to an abrupt halt.

"Izzy!" Claire shouted out in alarm rushing to the edge of the steep forested plateau. The Pink Ranger thought quick and gave her Keyrune a wave, creating a swirling pocket of air to slow her fall and land safely on the ground below.

At the bottom of the little ridge, Izzy heard the sounds of a little girl crying and whimpering in the dark. Using the light of her Keyrune, Izzy saw Laurel stuck to a nearby tree, tied up in the vines and ivy, no doubt the work of that illusionary creature.

"Miss Hererra? What are you doing here?" the little girl sniffled in surprise.

"Hang on kiddo. I'm gonna get you out of here," the Pink Ranger said quickly calling her gladius and chopping apart the vines to free her student.

"Wow! How did you do that?" Laurel asked in awe but Izzy scooped her up with one arm and turned to look back up the ridge. She could see the illusionary creature had now taken on a physical form, not that of a fairy princess, but one of an ugly Cambion hag.

"Ok Laurel, I'm going to need you to hang on tight and be brave for me. Do you think you can do that?"

The girl nodded fearfully and grabbed tight as the Pink Ranger called her wings and took a short running leap back up the ridge to join her friends in battle. As Izzy touched down and got her student clear of the battle, she could see her friends dodging the hag as she swooped about cackling maliciously.

"You foolish humans! Always groping blindly though the darkness. Do you really think you can trust your senses? I am everything you fear!"

For a moment, the demon used her dark illusionary powers to project a terrifying aura that took on the forms of various primal human fears. The Cambion witch cackled again as the four startled Rangers staggered backwards, recoiling in fear for a moment.

"Laurel go take cover and hide. My friends and I will take care of this monster," Izzy said hurriedly raising her Keyrune.

The little girl ducked behind a large tree stump and watched in wonder as her student teacher called upon a bright pink light and transformed into the Pink Ranger. Was she imagining things? Her hero and favorite Power Ranger had just saved her and was now standing right before her?

She didn't get much time to think about it as Izzy called up a powerful swirling wind that kicked up the fallen leaves and momentarily blinded the witch. "Everyone! Now's your chance!"

"Vanguard Ascend!" the other four Rangers echoed using the opportunity to get a grip and quickly morph, regrouping with the Pink Ranger.

"Are you ok Iz?" Nick asked in concern as the Cambion hag growled and blew away the last of the leaves.

The Pink Ranger called up her rapier and pointed it toward the demon, "No, I'm not! This rotten hag is going to pay for harming the children!"

Joe pulled his pistol and nodded, "All right. Nick, take that demon from the flank. Danny, back Izzy up. Claire, covering fire with me!"

The Red and White Rangers leveled their pistols and laid down and barrage of golden blaster fire while Izzy and Danny charged forward and Nick split off wide.

The hag raised her bony arms in response and called forth a magic barrier to shield herself from the oncoming bolts of blaster fire. As the witch deflected the bolts away, the distraction bought Nick just enough time to call his warhammer and charge in from the flank.

The hag gasped and turned her force field toward Nick, who took three mighty swings with his hammer, battering away the magic shielding and shattering it. Having pushed the enemy off balance, the Green Ranger took a winged leap backward as the defenseless demon looked to Izzy and Danny charging her.

In a heartbeat, the Pink Ranger suddenly pivoted on her heel and took a high winged jump directly upward leading the witch's gaze away for one critical moment. That moment allowed Danny to follow up the charge and skewer the demon's midsection with his spear. The hag howled in rage as the Blue Ranger pinned her in place, allowing the descending Pink Ranger to bring down a fully charged rapier blow to finish her.

"Nice assist there _caballero,_ (gentleman/knight)" Izzy smiled putting a lingering hand on Danny's arm, "Thanks."

The other Rangers gave a cheer as the Cambion witch exploded into ash and brimstone, hurrying over to congratulate Izzy.

"Way to smoke that hag Iz," Nick grinned giving her a high five as the Pink Ranger turned and saw Laurel peek out from her hiding place.

"No, this was a team victory. And that includes the efforts of a very brave little girl."

The Rangers powered down as the little girl approached, staring in wonder at the five heroes.

"You're the Power Rangers... Miss Herrera... are you really the Pink Ranger?"

Izzy knelt down and put a finger over her lips with a wink, "Shh. Don't tell anyone."

The girl beamed again and nodded her head before Joe stepped forward with a kind smile and handed her back her purple mittens for the second time, "Hey kiddo. Remember me? I thought you might need these back. It's getting a little cold out here."

Overcome with relief, happiness, and fatigue, Laurel simply ran into Izzy's arms and let the Pink Ranger scoop her up.

"All right everyone," Izzy sighed, "We busted our ghost. Now I think we'd better get back before Kara scares all the other little kids away."

* * *

Later that week, Laurel and her schoolmates walked into their classroom after recess for their class Halloween holiday party. The room had now been fully decorated and Mrs. Pierce, now dressed as a good fairy godmother, laid out some candy, juice, and other fun little games for the children to play. To the children's surprise, they also saw six fully morphed Vanguard Rangers standing at the front of the class talking with their teacher.

"Wow! Are those really the Power Rangers?" one boy asked in excitement. "The ones who are always flying around and saving the city?"

Laurel smiled to herself and stayed silent while the Pink Ranger turned to them and removed her helmet letting her brown hair cascade down.

"No. Sorry kids, it's just me," Izzy smiled brightly eliciting giggles from the class. "Since we're having a Halloween party, I invited some of my own friends and we thought it would be fun to _dress up_. Everyone here thinks the Power Rangers are pretty cool, right?"

The children cheered and voiced agreement as the other Rangers removed their helmets and smiled at the class too.

"Wow Miss Herrera! Your costume looks amazing!" one of the girls called out in awe. "It's so pretty, and you look just like the Pink Ranger!"

Izzy laughed gently and stepped forward, "Well, pink is my favorite color. Plus, all the bravest girls wear it too. Isn't that right Laurel?"

She gave a little wink toward Laurel and the little girl's face lit up with a bright smile, "You bet!"

"Hey now… let's not forget about her best friend the White Ranger," Claire laughed giving her friend a gentle poke in the side, "She's still pretty brave too."

The class laughed again and began to celebrate while chatting over games and snacks. Izzy smiled to herself as she watched the children begin climbing on top of Nick or taking pictures with Danny, Claire, and Kara. Nearby, Joe was doing his best to be modest as a group of the boys crowded around and started arguing why they thought the Red Ranger was the coolest Ranger of all.

To the Pink Ranger's surprise, Laurel hurried up to her and gave her skirt a little tug, "Aren't you going to come have fun too Miss Herrera?"

"I will," Izzy said kneeling down to her level for a moment, "I was just thinking how glad I was that everyone was safe and sound again, especially you."

Laurel smiled, "Thanks for saving me again. The Rangers are all my heroes now, especially you."

"Aww, thanks kiddo," Izzy laughed giving the girl another gentle hug.

As she let go, Laurel stopped a moment and frowned, "Um, Miss Herrera? You're still going to be student teaching here right? You're not going to be leaving us yet?"

Izzy rose and took her hand, leading the little girl back to the party with a gentle laugh, "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. As long as I'm around, I promise this will be the safest classroom in the whole city."

Laurel smiled while watching the other Rangers play with her classmates and she knew that if a Power Ranger was saying it, then it was sure to be true.

* * *

As the fading light of the day clung to the edge of the Rocky Mountains, four spectral horsemen took their rest after having arrived. While looking out over the lights of the distant city of Hyperion Falls below, the lead rider in pale robes trotted forward. "Come brothers. We've made our deal with Lord Gideon's emissaries. It would seem that there's much left to be done."

With that, the Four Horsemen began to slowly make their way down the mountains, intent on inflicting misery upon the people of Hyperion Falls as well as bringing forth the beginning of the End.


	53. Feast and Famine

**Episode 27: Part 1  
**

Dull orange rays of the fading sun hung over the city of Hyperion Falls as the workers finished unloading the last large crates of food from the delivery truck. When they finished stacking the last crates in the produce distribution center, one of the workers wiped his brow and chuckled to his coworker as they closed up, "Wow, looks like a big crop yield from the Adler farm this year. They must be doing something right."

After the lights went out for the day and the workers left, a dark figure emerged from the shadows wearing long black robes. The gaunt bony figure removed his dark hood revealing a withered sallow skinned being who gave a sinister smile. The Horseman named Famine approached the many crates of freshly arrived food and took on an ethereal form, passing straight through them like a ghost.

It was only a matter of time before the tainted curse he placed upon this food would reach the humans. If he was going to bring ruin and starvation to this city, then he had to grow stronger, meaning he had a lot of work left to do here.

* * *

The next afternoon, the six Vanguard Rangers met for lunch at the Student Union food court between their classes. While some of them brought a bag lunch, the rest ordered food from the lunch line and brought their trays to the table. As Danny sat down beside Joe and began bugging him to copy his notes for an upcoming Calculus exam, Kara took her fork and poked at the garden salad on her plate. It was an unusual main course for her as she had always been more accustomed to a warrior's diet of meats and starch. She was beginning to regret letting her fellow female Rangers talk her into it today.

"I still do not understand how this will be a filling meal by itself," she commented dourly.

"Oh come on Kara. Fruits and veggies are still good for you too," Izzy said with a reassuring wink, "And besides, they're good for our girlish figures too."

Kara frowned, "Perhaps more of a result from our exercise and Ranger training."

From across the table, the Green Ranger gave a good natured laugh, "Don't be such a sourpuss Kara. For all we know, the veggies in that salad came straight from my own family farm and I guarantee that we grow the healthiest, tastiest food in the state."

Seeing there was no arguing, Kara gave a defeated sigh and began to eat a fork full of the salad when the other Rangers stopped and witnessed a clamor erupt in the Union cafeteria. To their shock, they saw several other students begin to wolf down their food like ravenous animals and grab the meals off their fellow students' plates. Across the room, a few students pushed through behind the serving counters and began trying to get at the food trays with fierce determination.

"Eww, gross!" Claire commented in horror at the messy chaotic display.

"I know, right?" Danny said wryly in agreement, "That's school cafeteria food."

Rising from the table, the Red Ranger led the others quickly toward the door, also startled by the sudden mysterious feeding frenzy from their colleagues, "What the hell is going on here?"

As university faculty and workers began to rush in to calm the madness breaking out in the food court, the Rangers all rushed outside, looking around for any signs of trouble, or an attacking enemy. To their surprise, they found none. As they regrouped on the front lawn of the Union, Danny frowned, "Who wants to make a bet the Cambion demons are behind all this?"

Claire furrowed her brow and adjusted her glasses, "I'm sure of it. The question though is, how? This just happened out of the clear blue and we haven't seen any other trace of a demon."

"It's possible that this could be the work of a very powerful monster," Kara said ominously, "Powerful demons sometimes project a sort of passive aura to assert their will over others without any effort."

"Gee, what a comforting thought," Joe muttered darkly as he checked his watch, "Professor Bishop should be finishing one of his classes right about now. I think now would be a good time to go visit him."

* * *

Later that day, the Rangers headed into the lecture hall where Professor Bishop taught his classes. As they entered, they found their mentor sitting behind a large desk in the empty classroom. As he sat browsing on his small portable laptop, he laid out some food to eat a late lunch. As he took a packed ham and cheese sandwich from his bag and brought it to his mouth, Nick gave an alarmed cry and charged forward swiping the food from his startled teacher's hand.

"No Professor! Don't do it!"

"What the... Nick! I was going to eat that! What's gotten into you?" Bishop exclaimed in annoyance as the Green Ranger held the sandwich up and away from his reach. "Everyone? What's going on here?"

The others approached, also startled by Nick's sudden action.

Joe gave his roommate a pointed look and shook his head silently making the Green Ranger hand back the sandwich with a sheepish expression, "Um... sorry about that professor. There's a bit of a situation going on and I jumped the gun a little."

"Ya think?" Izzy sighed giving him a light slap in the arm.

Bishop sat and listened as the Rangers recounted the strange occurrence at the Union. While he listened, he began doing a few internet searches on his laptop.

"So that's what happened," Claire said finishing the story, "It seems that anyone who had eaten from the school cafeteria went bonkers."

At that moment, a loud burbling growl escaped Kara's stomach and she gave a self conscious look as everyone glanced at her for a moment, "Um... excuse me."

Bishop waved it off, "Look at this everyone. This is interesting. I just did a few local news searches and it looks like there are several reports of similar incidents breaking out across the city.

"Already? And on such a wide scale?" Joe asked in genuine surprise.

Bishop nodded and gave his own sandwich a second glance, "It seems they were occurring in a few restaurants and supermarkets. The common link sounds like it's tainted food."

"Ok! So we get to the source of the food and find our answer, right?" Izzy asked hopefully.

"Maybe. But we still don't know what the demons are up to," Danny mused aloud, "I mean... cursed food?"

Nick pounded his fist indignantly, "Well there's no way any of that came from my family's place."

"Calm down Nick. No one said that," Claire said gently, "But we'll have to do some digging and find the food distribution place to make sure. Until we do, I think it's a good idea to find out more about the victims so we know what we're up against, or how to prevent it."

Joe nodded his head gravely, "Agreed Claire. That's a good place to start. If several of our classmates were already affected, then let's check out the campus hospital nearby."

"I'll work on tracking down the produce distributor," Bishop added as the Rangers made their way out, "I'll give you a call when I find something out."

* * *

Early that evening, the six Rangers made their way into the campus hospital and asked to visit their schoolmates who had been affected by the curse. As they were led into the room by a doctor and a nurse, the Rangers were shocked at the sight of their classmates. There were around 25 students sitting upright, restrained to their beds. In front of them were trays and bowls of bland hospital food that the students were voraciously consuming. Whenever another hospital worker came near to take the trays, the victims would react with an almost animal like aggression.

"We've never seen anything like this before," the nurse commented, still trying to wrap her head around the recent events. "It's almost like these students are possessed."

"Aren't they getting full?" Izzy asked flinching at the disgusting eating habits of some of the patients, "How is it that these people can just keep eating like this?"

The doctor shook his head, "We have no idea. The only clue we've been able to learn is that these patients' metabolic functions have been elevated to unprecedented levels."

"If that's the case, then where is all that metabolic energy going? How can it be sustained?" Claire asked aloud with a genuinely puzzled look as her own scientific curiosity began to spark.

While the White Ranger pondered those questions, Kara walked over toward a bowl of porridge on a nearby table and began to quietly eat a couple bites. After the doctor and nurse stepped outside, the other Rangers began to speculate amongst themselves when they noticed all the other patients in the room freeze and sit motionless in silence while the lights flickered for a moment.

"Ok, this just went from gross to creepy," the Pink Ranger muttered as they looked around for some hint of what was going on. The lights flickered again, and the Rangers found themselves staring face to face with a tall gaunt figure in black robes atop a black horse. They were staring into the face of Famine.

"Whoah! What's going on?" Danny cried in alarm as the six friends recoiled, fearfully backing up against the wall of the wide hospital ward. "Who are you?"

The rider in black laughed as the sinister horse snorted in a threatening stance, "Do you not recognize me Ranger? I am one of the ancient beings freed from Bansheera's cistern."

"Wait! I remember now. You're one of those ghostly horsemen I saw!" the Red Ranger exclaimed in fear, "There were... four of you."

"Yes," Famine hissed, "My brothers and I have all returned as harbingers of the End Times."

Izzy shook her head in astonishment, "Wait... as in the biblical Apocalypse? You're like... one of the mythic Four Horsemen?"

Famine laughed aloud, "That's right my dear. You humans know us by many names, but you may call me... Famine."

Nick glanced over at the food trays and bowls that had fallen to floor near the motionless patients, "What do you want then Famine? What are you doing here?"

The rider gestured toward the motionless students, "What else? To inflict human misery. The Cambion were right about your race. Such weak disgusting creatures who are driven to constantly consume... all in the vain hope of your own survival... to prolong your own inevitable ends."

"You are aligned with Gideon and his demons?" Kara called out with a scowl as she wiped some porridge from her own lip.

Famine tilted his head, "We have an agreement child. We will help them destroy their enemies and they will allow us free reign to torment the slaves of their new dominion when they invade this world. I can already see the taint of hunger has begun to touch you too."

The other Rangers glanced over toward Kara who shot them an uneasy look before turning back towards Famine, "A curse that will be lifted by destroying you. We won't let you harm any of these people."

"I already have," Famine replied, "Now I am here to feed on them myself."

Before the Vanguard Rangers could react, Famine stretched his arms out and tilted back his cloaked head. In an instant, rippling light began to pour from the cursed patients' mouths and filter into the spectral rider's own mouth. For a terrifying moment, the Rangers watched as Famine seemed to siphon some sort of life energy from the victims. As he did, Famine grew larger in size and more monstrous in appearance until he absorbed all the current energy of the victims causing them to collapse back in their beds unconscious.

Giving an evil laugh, Famine turned and slowly trotted away, phasing through the wall and leaving the stunned Rangers before Joe shook off his surprise and ran over to the window, tearing it open. "Come on everyone! We can't let that monster get away!"

The Rangers followed him and scrambled out the window, chasing the black rider into a nearby park, across the street from the hospital.

"Hey! Hold it right there!" the Red Ranger called out in challenge causing Famine to turn around in annoyance. "You're not going anywhere! Not until you make those people well again!"

The Horseman sneered as the Rangers drew their Keyrunes. "Why don't you make me."

In an instant, the Rangers morphed as the Horseman gave a hideous shriek and charged forward, brandishing a fearsome spiked flail. As the Rangers scattered, Claire pulled her bow and fired a volley of icy arrows along with supporting fire from Izzy and her blaster pistol. The powerful Rider easily deflected the shots with a dismissive wave of the arm before charging forward on his horse, sending the two girls flying backwards after colliding with the beast.

To everyone's shock, the White and Pink Rangers demorphed and lay on the ground completely stunned. As he saw that happen, Danny summoned his spear and leveled it furiously at the Horseman calling out a challenge. "You're going to pay for that!"

Famine grinned and turned on the Blue Ranger charging on him in a flash. Danny got low and set his weapon to meet the charge, aiming to unseat the rider. As Famine bore down on top of him, the Horseman surprised Danny and reared up in the saddle making the Ranger miss with his spear thrust. In a flash, Famine used his flail to snare the spear and disarm the Ranger. Before Danny could move, Famine brought his flail around and struck him full on, causing him to fall and demorph as well.

Immediately, Nick charged in with a cry swinging his warhammer to try and protect his friend. To his shock, Famine caught the hammer easily with one hand and pulled the Green Ranger closer before grabbing him by the throat.

As Famine effortlessly lifted the struggling Nick off the ground, he gave a sniff of contempt, "Pathetic."

In one motion, the Horseman hurled the Ranger into a nearby tree, nearly destroying it. Like the others, Nick demorphed as he slumped to the ground, the fight taken completely out of him.

As Famine glanced at the defeated Ranger, he grunted as he felt a scimitar slash deep into his side crackling with electrical magic. The Gold Ranger was already upon him, trying to knock him off his horse and deliver a follow up blow with her second scimitar. Completely untroubled by the blade in his side, Famine lashed out and grabbed Kara's arm as she brought her second sword around, surprising the girl.

"You thought you could surprise me, did you?" the Horseman laughed before bringing his other arm around and striking her hard with his flail. Kara gasped as she took the hit and spun to the ground, landing face-first on the grass and demorphing as well.

"Is that all?" the Horseman laughed again before the Red Ranger sprung up from behind with a winged leap and brought his own fiery saber down on the black rider.

"Radiant Smite!" Joe called driving his brilliant blade home through the back of the Horseman with his finishing attack. To his shock, Famine only began to laugh hysterically at the blazing sword sticking out of his chest before radiating a dark energy of his own.

"You really think your pathetic weapons and magic can harm me? I have the power of the masses to protect me right now," Famine cackled intensifying his aura.

The Red Ranger gasped and tried to maintain his grip on his weapon, but felt the intense dark energy weaken him and burn away at his Ranger suit. In one more burst from the evil aura, Joe was thrown backwards and landed hard on the grass demorphing.

Famine sat atop his horse and surveyed the battlefield before giving a scoff at the six downed Rangers around him, "I don't have time to play with you children. Let this be your only warning to stay out of my way. I have work to do."

With blurry vision, the Red Ranger watched as the Black Horseman turned and began to slowly trot away into the night. As he left the battlefield, Joe glanced over at the stunned forms of his friends lying on the ground before putting his own head back on the grass and momentarily passing out.


	54. Food Fight

**Episode 27: Part 2  
**

In the roiling darkness of the Abyss, the Cambion Lord Gideon stood by his tower's throne room window, looking out over the chaos as his two generals finally returned from their diplomatic mission. Without turning around, the fallen Archangel spoke, "General Abaddon, Lady Shemhazai... you've both done well. I understand the Horsemen have agreed to work with us."

Both of the generals fell to one reverent knee.

"Yes Lord Gideon, but they are... fickle minded," Shemhazai replied carefully. "I doubt we will be able to exert much control over them in the long term."

"No matter," Gideon smiled turning around, "As long as they are indifferent toward our Cambion army they will still be useful to me."

Now it was General Abaddon's turn to look up in confusion, "My Lord?"

"The Great Seal that is keeping us trapped here is on the verge of collapse. I've been watching it fail and I am certain that it can be breeched any day now."

"What does that have to do with the Horsemen?" Shemhazai asked curiously.

Gideon walked slowly back toward his throne and sat down, "The Horsemen are driven to inflict death, destruction, and misery on wide scales... perhaps even greater than ours right now. The more suffering we allow them to cause, the quicker our own seal breaks. If they destroy the Vanguard Rangers while doing so, then so much the better for us."

"What would you have us do in the mean time Lord Gideon?" Abaddon asked.

The fallen Archangel's lips curled into a devilish smile, "We will wait patiently... but there are many preparations I'd like you to make in the mean time."

* * *

Early the next morning, the Vanguard Rangers gathered at Professor Bishop's townhouse and sat down glumly in his living room. After briefly telling their mentor about having been badly trounced the previous night, the five Rangers were feeling sore, bruised, and demoralized. While they were surprised that Famine had let them live, it didn't help make the humiliating sting of defeat any less.

While Kara remained in the kitchen, Bishop entered the living room with a pitcher of hot tea and several mugs for his students. As he set them down on the coffee table, none of the Rangers moved to take one.

"Is everything ok?" the professor asked pouring himself a cup and sitting down in his own armchair.

"Not really," Nick grumbled, "We got our asses kicked last night professor... badly."

Joe nodded, "He's right. Whatever we were fighting last night, we barely scratched him... and he's just one monster. The fact there are apparently three more running around doesn't help either."

Bishop nodded, "Yes. You mentioned these Horsemen have taken on the forms of the biblical harbingers of the Apocalypse... and that they seem to be in league with the Cambion demons. If you say you came across the Rider of Famine, then that explains the eating curse that's been spreading through our city. He must have tainted or cursed the food somehow."

As he spoke, the Rangers looked over and saw Kara enter the living room with a plate full of miniature hamburgers she had warmed up in the microwave. As she sat down, she began to eat them hungrily causing everyone to stare.

The Gold Ranger stopped for a moment, looking at them before saying with a full mouth, "What?"

"Kara! Not my frozen White Castle sliders!" Bishop cried in dismay. "I was saving those! Do you know how hard it is to come by them out here?"

The Rangers turned their curious looks toward the distraught Professor causing him to sigh and shake his head, "Just... trust me everyone. It's a Midwest thing. You wouldn't understand."

Kara simply shrugged and continued eating "Delicious. These make me... very happy."

Izzy looked back to the others, "Famine did say that Kara was cursed too... probably when she ate that salad at the Union, but how come she hasn't completely lost control like the other victims?"

"Remember, I am only half human," Kara answered in between bites of food, "For now, I'm resisting the curse, but it is becoming increasingly... difficult."

Claire clenched her fists in frustration, "Well, whatever is going on with Kara, we've still got to find a way to drive those Horsemen back."

After a long pause, Joe spoke up, "You know, I remember Famine saying that he had the power of the masses to protect him. What do you think that was all about?"

"Maybe it has to do with the people he cursed," Danny said thoughtfully, "I mean, think about it. He began targeting and absorbing energy from people who were already cursed. Maybe that's how he's drawing his power."

"Of course!" Claire grinned, "That makes sense. Famine became bigger and stronger after he fed on those people. He's basically using all those cursed people as different mouths and he's the final stomach."

"That means the way to weaken Famine will be by starving him out," Bishop concluded with a grim smile, "Ironic, isn't it?"

"I don't get it," Nick said, "How are we going to beat Famine that way?"

Joe crossed his arms pensively, "Attrition. We'll have to keep moving and stop Famine from feeding on more victims. Over time, he'll grow weaker and weaker until we can wear him down through battle."

"That's not going to be easy," Izzy commented with a worried look.

Beside her on the couch, Danny sighed, "We're facing down a Horseman of the Apocalypse Iz. No one's expecting an easy fight."

Bishop sighed, "In the mean time, I did some digging and it seems that the tainted food all came from the same food distribution center located in the Westown district of the city. I've already phoned in an anonymous warning to them but if wort comes to worst, perhaps Famine will return there to strike again.

The Red Ranger nodded, "No, that's where we'll set our trap. We've got our game plan so let's get ready to move again. In the mean time, Kara... are you going to be ok?"

The Gold Ranger nodded and reached over taking the pitcher of hot tea. To everyone's shock, she tipped it back and chugged the liquid down quickly and easily. After finishing it, she put down the pitcher and gave a dainty little burp causing Nick to raise an incredulous eyebrow, "Um, Kara... you do know that tea was super hot, right?"

"Indeed," she said as the others continued to stare, "It could have used a little twist of lemon though."

* * *

That afternoon the Horseman Famine smiled to himself as his dark spectral steed leapt across the roofs of several buildings in the city before he stopped at an open plaza. Down below, the Black Rider could see a cultural festival going on with several ethnic food and refreshment stalls opened. He had made a pass there earlier and now returned to the sight of chaos erupting as the food stands were torn apart and several customers devolving into a feeding frenzy.

As the Rider dropped down to the plaza, other bystanders took one look and fled in panic while the cursed people froze, affected by the Horseman's aura. Again, Famine tilted his head back and prepared to absorb life energy from the cursed people when a powerful bolt of fire struck him from above.

Famine shrugged off the magic blast of fire, protected by his own stored up energies before glancing up in fury to the sight of the morphed Red Ranger.

"Your horse looks a little weighted down there Famine," Joe smirked putting his Keyrune away and spreading his wings, "I think you should go on a diet."

The Horseman snarled, "How dare you interrupt me boy! I'll make you regret ignoring my warning!"

The Red Ranger took off into the skies as the Horseman swiftly gave chase, following through the city before losing sight of him behind some taller buildings. Famine growled again at having burned away some energy in a pointless chase before he turned back to another area he had cursed nearby, a local soup kitchen. As he galloped toward the building, he could already hear the panicked cries of several volunteers watching as the people eating in the soup kitchen became extremely hungry… and violent.

As the horseman passed several raggedy people still standing in line, one of the people tore off their blanket around them revealing themselves to be the Pink Ranger. In a flash, she landed a flurry of charged rapier thrusts into Famine, again drawing his attention away.

"You insolent girl!" the rider roared taking a wide swing with his flail, furious that he had expended even more power to absorb those blows. Izzy ducked under the flail and darted out a side door of the soup kitchen taking flight with the furious Horseman behind her. She watched as Famine followed her into the Westown district and neared the food distribution center where the others were waiting. As long as they kept the Rider chasing or defending himself from attacks, he would burn more energy and grow weaker still. Finally, they reached the open warehouse doors and Izzy swooped into the darkness making the rider pause for a moment.

"Where did you go Ranger?" Famine growled furiously as he cantered his dark steed toward the large loading dock doors of the food distribution center.

Just then, Izzy popped up from behind some crates and gave a mocking wave, "Hey! You should really eat something. You're all skin and bones!"

"Of all the impertinence..." the Horseman snarled as he gave chase to the Pink Ranger. As she scurried deeper into the dark warehouse, Nick pounded his warhammer into the ground nearby causing the earth to shake and erupt into uneven patches, surprising the rider.

Famine gave a surprised cry as his horse whinnied and stumbled forward on its face, pitching its rider forward. In an instant, the rider turned his head again and saw the Blue Ranger drop from the rafters of the high warehouse ceiling with his spear aimed downward.

Famine watched in curiosity as the Ranger fell and drove his spearhead clean into the dark steed's neck. Giving a triumphant cheer, Danny twisted the spear and felt the demonic horse thrash once before dispelling into a cloud of inky black smoke.

As he rose to his feet, Famine laughed and gently clapped his bony hands, "Well done Rangers. I'm impressed. You're already fighting smarter than the last time we met... but it still won't be enough. There is never enough for me."

"We'll just see about that," the Red Ranger called as he and the first five Rangers revealed themselves from their hiding spots, encircling the Horseman. "Everyone, you know what we have to do."

The five pulled their Keyrunes and summoned their golden armor. As the Rangers lashed out with their weapons, Famine roared in fury and began to intensify the dark aura he radiated. Amid the frenzied close quarters melee, the Rangers struggled to hold their Archangel forms against the Horseman's weakening aura that slowly sapped their own strength away.

Meanwhile, Kara watched from her hiding place, preparing to land a finishing blow, but it was getting harder to focus as Famine's curse continued gnawing at her mind. Instead, she tried to focus on the battle, looking for a clean opening.

By now, she could tell Famine was going through a lot of energy, absorbing blows from the Rangers while continuing to exert effort through his aura. She could also see the Rangers begin to shift tactics and fight defensively, prolonging the fight to exhaust the Horseman through sheer attrition.

Giving one more roar, Famine exerted a great burst of his energy and threw off all five Rangers around him, causing them to demorph.

"Not enough," the Horseman panted with a tired laugh, "You may have exhausted my own energy reserves, but it will still be more than enough to finish you."

As he raised his flail to strike at the exhausted Rangers, Kara sprung from her spot and parried the blow, landing one of her own. Famine staggered a moment showing the first sign of true injury before raising his weapon to block Kara's follow up blow. As Kara struck, Famine used the chain to snare her wrist and use her momentum to flip her to the ground.

Before the Gold Ranger could react, the Horseman grabbed at her neck, pinning her down and leaning forward with a grin, "You've collected some energy for me little girl. I can smell it on you. After I feed on you, I'll use that power to destroy the rest of your friends."

Kara thrashed again making the Rider laugh.

"Give up already girl," Famine hissed clutching at Kara's collar in a tight grip, trying to pin her down further , "You've run long enough... and now I'll feed on you too."

With that, the Horseman began to open his hideous mouth into an unnatural size. As he did, he began to give off his dark psychic aura that pulled at Kara and tried to violently suck at the vital energy she had already consumed from her curse.

The Gold Ranger grunted and struggled back with all her might, feeling her head swimming and her ears ringing. Still, she forced a small sardonic smile on her lips as she looked right into the wide gaping mouth of Famine. He was severely weakened and desperate now.  
"Oh, you will feed," she said, "On Empyrian steel!"

Just like lightning, Kara brought her scimitar around and plunged it straight into the Horseman's mouth. Giving a shout, she charged her blade with her thunder element and the blade lit up with surging lightning that crackled inside the Horseman's throat.

Having been caught off guard, the severely weakened Horseman gave a surprised gurgle as the lightning lit up his entire skull and coursed through his skeletal body. The Gold Ranger fell over gasping as the Horseman lurched backwards and crumpled to his knees, completely burning away into black dust while still feebly clutching at the blade in his throat.

As Kara staggered to her feet, she gave a sigh as she felt the hunger pangs and darkness of the curse leave her. Moments later, her other Ranger friends weakly stumbled over and gathered around her, enveloping her in a relieved group hug.

"Kara! Are you ok?" Nick asked in concern, letting go for a moment.

The Gold Ranger nodded and powered down, gracing her friends with a small relieved smile, "I am unharmed... thank you everyone."

"Damn," Joe muttered tiredly as he reached down and handed the fallen scimitar back to Kara, "I can't believe that plan actually worked. We barely pulled it off."

Danny grinned and put an arm around Kara, "He's right. Plus you really took to that Horseman there. Who knew that all he was lacking in his diet was a little, Iron?"

The others rolled their eyes and groaned. Turning to slowly walk out of the warehouse, they left the Blue Ranger standing by himself.

"Oh hey! Come on guys!" he called hurrying to catch up, "It was a good pun! At least I thought it was funny!"

* * *

Late the next afternoon, the Vanguard Rangers gathered for an impromptu dinner at Nick's farmhouse just outside the city. With the recent food scares and inspections going around the city, Nick's parents extended an invitation to him and his friends to have a meal with food straight from the fields.

As they sat around the large table chatting with members of Nick's equally large family, they were stunned and excited by the impressive spread that was prepared. Ironically, Thanksgiving was only a few weeks away, but it looked like the holiday came early as a small turkey was served along with biscuits, gravy, garlic potatoes and a casserole of candied yams.

"Nick, this food looks amazing," Danny grinned preparing to reach his fork into some potatoes but his hand was caught by Izzy sitting beside him.

"Not so fast. We say grace first," the Pink Ranger reminded him, taking his and Joe's hands

Claire sighed reluctantly, "Must we?"

The Red Ranger gave Claire a patient smile and nodded as he took her hand too, making her go along.

At the head of the table, the big blonde farmer Mr. Adler folded his hands and wore a solemn face as he began to pray, "Lord, bless these sinners while they eat their dinners… Amen."

Izzy sat in stunned silence while the other Rangers laughed and the younger Adler kids cheered.

"Like father like son. Straight to the point and doesn't waste time with formalities," Joe grinned toward his roommate as Nick laughed aloud and passed him some biscuits.

To everyone's shock, they stopped as they saw Kara ignore the turkey and potatoes and instead load her plate with vegetables like corn, squash, and green beans.

"What?" the Gold Ranger asked in confusion as she froze and looked up toward the amused faces of her friends. "I thought I would give these vegetables a second chance."

She could only give a puzzled frown as she watched her friends erupt into another gale of good natured laughter.

* * *

Later that night, the Red Ranger lay in his bed sleeping peacefully until he felt small pinpricks of something light and cold on his face. Joe shook his head and slowly opened his bleary eyes, only to find himself lying outside on a now snow covered ground.

The surprising change of scenery and the sudden feeling of cold snow underneath made him shoot upright and look about in a disoriented panic. He was out on a deserted mountain plateau, at night, in the dead of winter. What happened? How did he get here? Why was he here?

As gently falling snow continued to sprinkle down from above, Joe blinked and realized there was a warming presence over him, giving off light with a gentle red glow. The Ranger turned around and was shocked to see a familiar winged angel wreathed in fire hovering behind him, as if keeping watch over the young man. For some reason, the image of the fiery angel was blurred, but there was no doubt it was Archangel Auriel.

"Auriel? What's going on?" Joe frowned in confusion, "What's happened? Why are we here?"

As if in a dreamlike state, the angel spoke, but its words were muffled and unintelligible.

"What? I don't understand."

With a slow movement, the fiery Archangel raised his hand to his own chest and placed it over his heart as if trying to convey a direction with its body language.

In an instant, a powerful gust of blinding snow gusted and obscured Joe's vision. When it faded, the Ranger found himself sitting upright in his bed, as if risen from a waking dream. Despite feeling cold sweat run down his neck, he was back in the safety and warmth of his own dorm room.

Nearby, his Red Keyrune lay inert on the nightstand and his alarm clock read 4 AM. From the other side of the room, Nick was curled up in his blankets sound asleep, snoring softly.

The Red Ranger rubbed his eyes and looked outside the window to see that a light snow had begun to fall. Picking up his Keyrune, he sat in the dark gazing upon the artifact.

"Where are you Auriel? What are you trying to tell me?" he whispered in the dark. He was unsure whether to feel more awe or dread, so he could only continue to sit in silence hoping in vain that somehow the Archangel would return and answer his questions.


	55. Plague Doctor

**Episode 28: Part 1  
**

A cold wind blew through the air as a tall hunched figure trudged through the icy streets of the city. The early rays of the dawn sun had not quite peeked over the mountains overlooking Hyperion Falls leaving the nearly empty streets in a state of shadowy twilight. As the figure in a raggedy green cloak continued down the street, it stopped as the headlights of a police patrol car stopped upon it and two policemen stepped out.

"Is everything ok here sir?" the officer asked giving the cloaked man a suspicious frown, "A little unusual to be out this late and in this cold, don't you think?"

The green cloaked figure turned its head slightly to the officer and said in a wheezing voice, "I'm very sorry officer. I just got lost. Do you think you could help me?"

The second officer sighed toward his partner and walked over to the raggedy man, "Relax Frank. It just looks like some old homeless guy. He's not going to hurt anyone."

As the officer touched the raggedy man's arm, the officer froze as ugly dark green boils and blotches began to form upon his skin.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that," the ragged man laughed as the officer gasped and toppled over onto his side.

Immediately, the other officer pulled his pistol and radio, "Dispatch! Call a bus. Officer down! I repeat, officer down!"

Turning to the ragged man, he called, "Put your hands up, right now!"

The figure in green raised a hand and flicked a wrist, causing the second policeman to contract the same dark plague. As the officer instantly collapsed, he looked up in fear as the man in green rags loomed over him, "Who… are you?"

The rag man extended a green boil covered arm and pulled back his hood revealing an even more hideous face grinning down on him, "Remember my face human. For I am Pestilence, and this is only the beginning of your suffering."

* * *

"So this is the third time you've had this dream in two weeks?" Claire Li asked as she sat on her bed, hugging her pillow.

Joe restlessly paced around her room and stopped to look out the window. Outside, there had been a light dusting of snow which now reflected the Saturday morning sunlight.

"It's the strangest thing," the Red Ranger sighed continuing to look out the window, "Each time I have the dream, it seems like things become slightly clearer… like I'm getting closer to something. I still can't understand what Archangel Auriel is saying, but I know he's trying to tell me something now… something important."

The White Ranger nodded, "If something is going to happen, maybe he's giving you a vision of the future. Or maybe a clue?"

"Bishop did say that Auriel had a powerful trumpet that he used in battle to make himself stronger," Joe frowned, "But what does that have to do with the mountain, or the snow?"

Claire pursed her lips thoughtfully as she glanced at her Keyrune, "If it's not a prophetic dream, maybe it's symbolic instead?"

The Red Ranger gave a tired sigh and sat back down on the edge of her bed, "Who knows? If it's something this important, you would think that Auriel would have just flat out told me by now."

Claire gave a gentle smile. She knew that Joe was stressed and anxious about these strange visions, but it was only because he cared and felt responsible. She knew he tended to put a lot of pressure on himself and always worried about doing whatever was necessary to protect his team. If that meant acting alone and putting himself at greater risk, then so be it. It was one of the things she loved about him.

Claire moved over to sit beside him and put a gentle hand over his, "Hey, don't worry so much. All of us will help and I promise we'll figure it out. We always do, right?"

The Red Ranger turned and gave a faint smile, "Yeah… thanks Claire."

"Good. I'm glad you came to talk to me about it… though I'm a little surprised you didn't mention it to anyone else yet."

Joe gave a sheepish look and shrugged, "Oh, well… I just felt I could trust you most with something like this, you know?"

Claire raised an eyebrow in amusement, "Really? I thought Danny was our second in command."

"Yeah, but do you think he'd take this half as seriously as he should?" Joe replied with a smile.

"Ok, what about Nick? He's your roommate and best friend here at school."

Again, the Red Ranger laughed, "True, but I figured I'd ask someone who's got a little bit more going on in the brains department."

"Ah, then I'm guessing that rules Izzy out too," Claire added chuckling.

Joe rolled his eyes playfully, "Claire, be nice. Maybe I should go now and ask for her take on this, just to prove you wrong."

Claire gave a surprised look before he gently nudged her shoulder with his to let her know he was joking. For a moment, both Rangers glanced down and realized they had unconsciously begun to hold hands while they were laughing and sitting together. The two looked up to each other in surprise before exchanging another quiet smile.

Moments later, a knock was heard and the door to Claire's room opened slightly causing the two Rangers to split apart, "Claire! Are you in?"

Claire looked up in complete surprise to see her two parents enter the room. Mr. and Mrs. Li were a kindly middle aged couple, both dressed well and both of Chinese American heritage.

"Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?" Claire gasped, jumping to her feet. "I uh… didn't know you were dropping by campus this weekend."

"We figured we'd just surprise you today dear," Mrs. Li smiled giving her daughter a hug and stroking her hair for a moment, "Besides, there's a nasty bug going around and your father was called in to help care for the patients at the downtown hospital."

While he stood off to the side, Joe remembered Claire saying that Mr. Li was a doctor with a fairly sizeable practice out in the suburbs. The doctor looked about the room to make sure everything was in order before giving an appraising look toward the Red Ranger.

"Claire, isn't it a little early in the morning to be having boys in your room… alone?"

The White Ranger gave a mortified look, "Dad!"

Joe gave a timid smile and held out a hand in greeting, "Um… hello Mr. Li. My name is Joe Hale. It's nice to meet you. I uh… promise I'm just a friend… and um... have nothing but respect for your daughter."

Mr. Li scrutinized him more before breaking out into a friendly laugh and shaking Joe's hand, "Relax son. I'm just pulling your leg. It's nice to meet you too."

Mrs. Li rolled her eyes and sighed as she gave her husband a light slap in the arm, "Harold, behave."

Turning to Joe, Mrs Li smiled and gave a little wink, "It's nice to finally get to meet you too Joe. Claire has actually spoken a lot about you to us."

The Red Ranger gave Mrs. Li a puzzled handshake as Claire gave another outburst, "Mom!"

Mr. Li interrupted and put an arm over his daughter's shoulders with a smile, "Listen Claire, we still have a little time before I have to be at the hospital. Why don't you and your friend join us for brunch?"

"Oh, that's really nice of you to offer Mr. Li," Joe said diplomatically, "But I wouldn't want to impose and cut in on your family time here."

The White Ranger paused a moment in thought before giving her friend a tug on the sleeve, "Nonsense. Grab your coat. We're going to brunch."

* * *

Later that day, Mr. Li reentered the emergency ward of the city's central hospital. After having brunch with his family, he had gone to see the first of the new patients and was shocked by the strange unknown epidemic that was spreading quickly around the city. It was like nothing he had ever seen before.

As he made his way from the examination rooms, he was floored by how many people were still waiting to be seen. A growing crowd of patients sat in their seats, groaning and moaning from the mysterious disease plaguing them. All along their skin were ugly blotches of discoloration and infectious looking boils. It was at that moment, Mr. Li wished he hadn't eaten before coming in to work that day.

The doctor turned to one of the nurses and gave a grim expression, "Give the boys down in the lab a call. We're going to be really busy today finding out what the heck this plague is. In the mean time, let's double up on the infection control protocols."

As the nurse left, Mr. Li paused and frowned as he noticed strange behavior from the patients in the waiting room. To his shock, they all froze and went silent for moment before standing up in unison. As the infected people began to shuffle out the door like a crowd of zombies, Mr. Li followed behind trying to call other hospital staff and security to restrain the patients.

To their surprise, the large crowd of infected patients pushed aside all resistance and shuffled out of the hospital into the cold with single purpose. There in the parking lot of the hospital sat the hideous horseman Pestilence, clad in his ragged green cloak.

From where he stood, Mr. Li froze in horror as he witnessed the monster laugh again and begin leading the crowd away toward some other location. Looking about, he saw several other terrified members of the hospital staff staying back, not wanting to get in the way of the monstrous rider.

As a doctor, Mr. Li couldn't let those people go. He had to try and treat their illness and he had to make sure they couldn't run loose to infect others either. Gathering up his courage, he huddled into his white lab coat and left the hospital, determined to try and figure out what was going on.

* * *

Meanwhile, Joe and Claire made their way home from the restaurant where they had eaten brunch. As they walked back from the far edge of campus town, Claire gave a content sigh and took in the cold air, enjoying the sight of the gently falling snow now. "You know, it was nice doing this sort of thing together… don't you think?"

"Sure," Joe smiled gently, "I mean, I always have fun hanging out with you… but it was also nice to meet your folks today. They seemed very friendly."

"Well, they seemed to like you too... though I hope they didn't scare you too much telling some of those embarrassing stories about me when I was younger."

The Red Ranger grinned, "Nah. I'm glad. I got to learn about another side of you… one that's a little more silly, and irrational, and expressive than what we're normally used to at school… err, not that I don't like you the way you are now…"

"No, I get it," she said with a reassuring laugh, "I admit, I can still be a little reserved and icy in a way. Maybe that's another reason I have an affinity for the element."

"I don't think you're that cold or icy," Joe said absently, "I know you're kind, and caring, and fun, and it reflects from your dad. He wouldn't be a doctor if he didn't genuinely care about others, right?"

Claire smiled, "Well… to be honest, he's the reason I want to go to med school and be a doctor too. I've always looked up to my dad and want to make him proud by being just like him."

Joe smiled and stopped, putting his hands on her shoulders, "That's really noble of you Claire, but remember to not be too much like him. You have lots of other great qualities to bring to your future patients, ones that are unique only to you."

The two stood for another moment sharing a lingering smile before their phones went off. Claire sighed and silently cursed as the moment was ruined, but she knew if Ranger duty called, it always took priority. Already, she felt her stomach drop as Joe hung up and turned to her with a grave expression. "That was Dan. We've got trouble downtown near the central city hospital. Let's get going."

* * *

Dr. Li ducked through the side streets and alleys following the crowd of infected people who were now causing chaos and fear through downtown Hyperion Falls. While the patients and infected citizenry shambled along, they didn't move to harm others or cause wanton vandalism.

Instead, they moved like a mindless growing wave of zombies following behind the ghastly green clad Horseman at their head. Here and there, Pestilence waved his hands, spreading infections and plague to terrified civilians trying to escape the streets.

As Pestilence rode through the streets, he stopped as he came across a young woman in the street struggling to rise. The heel on her shoe had broken and she twisted her ankle while trying desperately to escape in the rush. The green Horseman sneered and slowly raised his hand to curse her when Mr. Li rushed in and stood in the way.

"Stop right there!" the doctor called out defiantly knowing he couldn't just sit back and watch any longer, "I won't let you harm any more people!"

Pestilence reared up for a moment and sneered in amusement, "Ah! I remember seeing you back at the hospital. Are you that desperate to sacrifice yourself so others may live? Physician, heal thyself!"

As Pestilence used his dark magic, Mr. Li staggered as he felt himself suddenly become weakened and infected with the debilitating plague. Pestilence laughed again, watching the doctor crumple to his knees in agony before a volley of golden blaster shots rained down from above, striking the ground around the Horseman.

Pestilence reared back and snarled as the morphed Red and White Vanguard Rangers descended from the skies onto the battlefield.

"End of the line Horseman!" the Red Ranger called drawing his gladius while trying to swallow his own dread and buy time until the others arrived.

Pestilence laughed scornfully, "I heard that you Rangers slew my brother Famine, but do you really think that only two of you will be able to stop the spread of my Pestilence?"

The Horseman gestured to the crowd of infected thralls behind him, "Look around you Rangers. All these weak humans' bodies and minds now belong to me."

Claire turned her head for a moment and caught sight of her father lying in the street, writhing in delirious pain from the boils and plague infecting him. She immediately broke away and rushed to his side beginning to cry in hysterics, "No! Dad! Stay with me. You have to fight!"

"Claire!" Joe shouted forcefully trying to recall the White Ranger to battle. She didn't seem to hear him and instead remained kneeling and pleading at her father's side. Turning back to the Horseman, he gripped his sword tightly and growled.

"It's no use Ranger," Pestilence chortled raising his weapon, a green glowing mace, "Now, die for me!"

The Horseman whipped his mace around, throwing green poison bolts forward but the Red Ranger tumbled through the blast and locked his Keyrune into his gladius, summoning his saber sword.

Pestilence growled and brought his free hand around, firing a billowing cloud of toxic gases and poisonous smog toward Claire and her prone father. As Joe twirled his blade and ignited it, he moved to block the attack and saw the light of his Keyrune suddenly grow brighter while the flame of the blade intensified.

With no time to think about the mysterious event, he countered the stream of poison fumes with a blazing slash and ignited the gases into a volatile stream of fire. To his surprise, the combusting toxic spray surged back toward the Horseman and exploded on him in a fiery cloud.

"All right! Score one for the good guys!" Joe cheered in relief as he saw the other 4 Rangers arrive and drop down from the skies.

Pestilence growled and brushed off the flames that momentarily engulfed him. Glancing at the panicked White Ranger, the Horseman turned away, "We'll finish this later."

Before the other Rangers could attack or give chase, the mind controlled people infected by the plague formed a literal human wall to cover the Horseman's escape. To the Rangers' frustration, Pestilence lost himself in the sea of people and galloped off. Only when he was gone did the monster's aura disappear and the victims collapsed to the street in agony.

"Wow... what the hell is going on here?" Danny asked in astonishment while surveying the epidemic before him.

"Long story," Joe sighed lowering his sword and looking back toward Claire. By now, the White Ranger had pulled her Keyrune and was desperately trying to use healing magic to temporarily ease her father's suffering.

Turning back to the others, he could hear the sirens of ambulances approaching, "Come on Rangers. Let's get to work helping these people out. We're going to have our hands full today."


	56. The Family Practice

**Episode 28: Part 2  
**

"It's getting late everyone," Danny commented as he checked his watch and looked out the window of the hospital waiting room. While the sun had begun to set outside, Claire and her mother sat at the bedside of Dr. Li who lay sleeping. He had been sedated and remained stable just like many of the other patients who had suddenly contracted the mysterious plague spreading through the city.

After a long afternoon of helping the paramedics load sick people into ambulances, the Vanguard Rangers had come to give their support to Claire while her father remained hospitalized.

"Daniel is right," Kara agreed, "Perhaps we should all get back to campus and see if Professor Bishop can help us come up with a strategy."

Nick glanced over toward the hospital ward and gave a sympathetic sigh, "I'm guessing Claire will refuse to budge. She seemed pretty upset earlier, but I also think she'll need to rest."

Izzy nodded and turned to Joe giving him a light push toward the door of the ward, "The rest of us will head back. Why don't you go try talking to her and bring her home."

"What? Me?" the Red Ranger asked in momentary confusion.

The Pink Ranger gave one more gentle push and an almost knowing look, "Sure. You're team leader after all... and besides, she always does seem to listen to you the most."

Joe sighed as he watched the others leave and entered the main ward. There he saw an exhausted looking Mrs. Li sitting in a chair with a blanket, preparing to spend the night near her husband. At the foot of the bed, the White Ranger sat keeping watch over her father, no doubt thinking furiously of some way to try and reverse the disease.

"Uh... hey Claire. Sorry to bother you, but visiting hours are over."

She turned and looked slowly toward him with a tired look. He sighed an continued, "Listen... it's been a long day. You need some rest, so let me take you back home to the dorm? I promise you can come back and visit again first thing tomorrow."

"He's right dear. I'll be here just in case," Mrs. Li said to her daughter.

Claire nodded and said goodnight to her mother before leaving the ward. As the two Rangers walked into an empty waiting room, she turned to Joe and said, "I'm sorry about earlier."

The Red Ranger gave a puzzled look as she continued, "I completely froze up during the battle. I couldn't focus or think straight and I left you to fight Pestilence alone."

"Claire... it's ok. You don't have to apologize. We drove him off for now."

"But what about next time?" she asked tensing up, "He's going to be back and he's going to hurt more people. The Rangers need to be at full strength and I won't be any good to you guys if all I can think about right now is my Dad's safety."

The Red Ranger stopped and put his hands on her shoulders, echoing the words she spoke to him earlier that day, "Don't worry Claire. All of us will be here to help, especially me. I promise you we'll figure this out. We always do, right?"

Claire gave a small whimper and nodded before burying her face in his chest as he put his arms around her in a comforting hug. As Joe continued to hold her close while she cried softly into his shoulder, he couldn't help but wonder where to go from here. His heart did hurt for her right now. Claire had always been a reliable friend who had always been there for him and he wanted to be there for her too right now.

Like in the case with Izzy's cousin Carmen, one of the Ranger's immediate family members was in direct danger from an unpredictable foe. He could only hope that Bishop would be able to help them come up with a new plan before things got any worse.

* * *

The next morning, the Vanguard Rangers minus Claire gathered in Professor Bishop's office to go over recent events and come up with a plan.

"Whatever we're going to do, we'd better do it fast," Danny said looking at the news feed on his phone, "It looks like scores of people just contracted the Green Plague last night."

Professor Bishop folded his hands and frowned in deep thought, "It's interesting. From what you all described, it seems that the Horsemen all possess some kind of uniquely powerful area of effect ability... one that harms those who come within their aura."

"Fighting at range will only be effective for so long," Kara commented grimly, "We still need to get in close to finish off the enemy, but doing so against a foe like Pestilence will be incredibly risky."

"Then we have to find a way to shut him down or slow the spread of the disease, right?" Izzy asked. "How can we do that if the people he infects can become his zombie body shields?"

"Perhaps figuring out a creative use of our elemental magic?" Danny suggested.

Nick crossed his arms in thought, "Water and Wind would both be risky since they can be used to spread the disease. Fire might be effective if we want to try and destroy him outright."

"Yeah, but Pestilence will probably be ready for it now after I sucker punched him yesterday," Joe answered grimly.

Bishop sat back in his seat before speaking, "What if you froze him?"

The others stopped and looked at the professor as he continued, "Maggie Feldman told me once that sometimes freezing samples of bacteria can be used to preserve them for later use or study. However, it's common for cold temperatures and ice to kill the bacteria and micro organisms because it ruptures the cells. If Pestilence is carrying around a bacterial curse, maybe Claire's Ice magic would be able to slow Pestilence, if not neutralize his power altogether."

"Professor, that's brilliant!" Nick grinned, silently thanking his own Botany teacher for the assist. "Let's get her on the phone and..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Danny raised his smart-phone up again, "Guys, we've got trouble. Pestilence is back and he's causing chaos downtown again."

Bishop nodded and reached for the phone on his desk, "I'll fill Claire in. The rest of you, go on ahead."

As he watched the others rush out of the office, Bishop hoped Claire would be able to pull it together and be able to help the others in the coming battle.

* * *

In the central city hospital, Claire sat with her mother looking after Mr. Li as he slept. While she sat, Claire felt her phone vibrate and excused herself from the room to speak to Professor Bishop.

"Claire, get ready to suit up. Pestilence has been sighted again downtown."

The White Ranger stopped and nodded, "I... understand, but I've been so preoccupied. I haven't even thought about a way we might be able to stop that Horseman."

"Don't worry," Bishop reassured her, "This time, the rest of us have you covered. We thought up a new game plan and you're going to be the key to it."

"Me?"

"Yes. There's a lot at stake right now," Bishop replied, "Both the Rangers and your Dad need you to step up and stay focused right now. They believe you can do it and so do I."

Claire hesitated and glanced back into the room where her family was. Steeling her resolve, she nodded, "Ok Professor, tell me what I have to do."

* * *

The Green Horseman laughed as he galloped down the city streets spreading destruction and disease with his glowing mace. In his wake followed another growing legion of infected citizens shambling along. As he galloped into an open plaza, 5 winged shadows quickly passed overhead before swooping into the path of the monster.

Pestilence reared his horse as the Vanguard Rangers barred his path and drew their own weapons. "Look! The scared little Horseman came back for more," Nick taunted as he readied his hammer toward the monster. "You think we're going to be any easier on you this time?"

"No less than I will be on you boy," Pestilence cackled raising his mace and signaling his mind controlled plague bearing citizens forward.

"Uh oh. Change of tactics," Danny gulped, "What now?"

"Try to find an opening and break through the human shield without hurting them," Kara answered drawing her swords and rushing forward.

The others hesitantly readied their weapons and followed the charge, pushing and ducking past the mind controlled citizens to get to Pestilence. As they neared, the crowd became thicker and slowed the Rangers down even more, making it hard to bring their weapons to bear on the Horseman.

As they tangled with the infected people and tried to take flight, Danny and Kara were struck by projectile poison bolts from the Horseman's mace, causing them to drop and writhe in pain. Shoving past other body shields to help, Nick and Izzy readied to attack, but Pestilence raised another arm and sprayed them with a stream of noxious fumes, infecting and poisoning them too.

As the Green and Pink Rangers dropped to their knees choking and coughing, Joe broke free and prepared to bring his saber around on the Horseman when another infected citizen rushed up and stood in his way.

The Red Ranger froze, and abruptly stopped his swing for fear of killing the civilian, but it gave Pestilence just enough of an opening to counterattack with his mace. As Joe flew backward from the powerful blow, he felt the poison magic of the Horseman's weapon begin to infect him too.

As the crowd dispersed and fell back, the Green Horseman trotted forward, cackling at the downed Rangers. "Such weakness and arrogance. To think you could stop me. I will make you know real suffering now."

Raising his mace, the Horseman began to charge forward on his mount to trample the helpless heroes when a bright white light burst over the battlefield freezing the ground and chilling the air.

Pestilence roared in fury as his horse slid on the slick sheet of ice and wiped out violently. The Green Rider tumbled onto the ground and watched as a radiant White Archangel swept over the battlefield in a furious flurry of snow and ice that instantly destroyed his now vulnerable steed.

From where they lay on the ground, the poisoned Rangers struggled to their knees as they saw Claire arrive to protect them. The short White Archangel in golden armor tilted her head and said "Sorry I'm late everyone. I couldn't let this Horseman hurt the rest of my family."

"So, you've finally decided to stand and face me little girl?" Pestilence mocked hefting his mace, "You're too late to stop my plague Ranger. No human can."

Claire shook her head, "No. That's where you're wrong Pestilence. Disease and sickness has always reared up to plague us, but humanity has always fought back and beaten them. Bubonic Plague, Malaria, TB, and Polio. We've done it before and we can do it again."

"You intend to defeat me with modern medicine?" the Horseman jeered.

"No, but I'm still going to beat you with science," Claire answered defiantly pulling out her Keyrune. "It's time I put you and your plague on ice."

Pestilence sneered and fired a burst of poison darts from his mace, but Claire curled her wings together using them as a shield and deflecting them away. As she spread her wings, she fired a volley of blaster shots from her pistol in one hand and unleashed a frigid spray of ice from her Keyrune in the other.

The Horseman growled and deflected the blaster shots but could not avoid the torrent of icy air that began to coat him and slow him down.

"Hard to move when your disease starts becoming dormant, isn't it?" Claire challenged, slowly stepping forward while keeping the stream of ice on him.

"Enough of this!" Pestilence snarled intensifying his aura so that the infected people on the city streets would come to protect him.

Giving another wave of her Keyrune and beating her angelic wings, Claire called up a large ringed barrier of ice to wall off the plague zombies and isolate Pestilence with the Rangers.

"No! You can't do this!" the Horseman shouted angrily raising his mace and advancing on Claire. "I'll just have to kill you myself!"

The White Ranger shook her head and turned her Keyrune on the Horseman, directly hosing him with a continued stream of ice and snow. Pestilence cursed and shouted in fury as he fought against the stream, but slowly succumbed to the effects of the magic element. Eventually, his feet froze in place and three quarters of his body became encased in ice. To his surprise, the magic was slowing him and causing him pain. To the Horseman's shock, his aura slackened and began fading as the prison of magic ice contained him.

"I'll kill you girl... your Ranger friends... and your whole family!"

Pestilence roared again as the White Ranger angrily intensified her blizzard stream in response. "I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

When the blizzard faded and the furious White Ranger lowered her Keyrune, she took a moment to stare down the gasping Horseman and call her weapon.

"It's time to take your shots," the vengeful White Ranger called summoning her bow and readying two super charged ice arrows. "Take two and don't call me in the morning!"

Taking aim, she let fly the bolts of searing cold that lanced straight through the Horseman's head and instantly destroyed him in a powerful burst of ice crystals and energy. Claire watched closely as the rest of the Horseman's frozen body began to dematerialize and fall apart, melting the ice around him until there was nothing left.

She gave a deep sigh of relief and lowered her bow, turning to see her fellow Rangers slowly recover their strength as the Horseman's curse of poison and disease left them completely. After exerting so much energy in the battle and being driven by feelings of fury and revenge, she was completely exhausted.

"Well done Claire," Kara said as Nick, Danny, and Izzy hurried to give her a hug and hoist her up on their shoulders, "That was a most impressive display of inner power."

"She's got that right!" Nick laughed, "A new Doctor Li is in the house."

Claire nodded her thanks to the Gold Ranger before she glanced over toward Joe who was melting the wall of ice with a controlled fire from his own Keyrune. As the ice melted, Claire could see the citizens who had been infected and under the control of Pestilence were now recovering. The blotches and boils on their skin were fading and evaporating completely. It made her glad that she could restore all those people back to health and for a moment, she wished there was some way for her to put that on her med school application. In the meantime, she turned her gaze and happily settled on a proud nod and thumbs up from the Red Ranger across the street.

* * *

Later that day, the Rangers gathered in the hospital to visit Mr. Li who was now wide awake and recovering quickly. From their place in the ward, they happily watched as Claire exchanged hugs of relief and joy with both her parents.

"I'm so glad you're going to be ok Dad," Claire said squeezing her father's hand, "Mom and I were really worried."

"Thanks sweetheart," Mr. Li smiled gently brushing her cheek with his hand, "I still hope you were able to stay calm enough to help your mother though. I know that if something were to happen to me, you'd be strong and focused enough to take charge of the situation. That's why I think you'd make a great doctor someday."

Claire nodded and turned back to her friends with a smile, "Well, I had some help from my friends... but I'd never let you or them down if the situation called for it."

"I'm glad then," Mr. Li said laying back, "In the mean time, I think I could use a little more shuteye. Is that ok with you?"

Claire smiled and kissed her father on the cheek before leaving, "Get well soon Dad."

As she walked out into the hospital lobby with the others, Izzy put her arm gently around her friend with a kind smile, "Well Claire, today is definitely your day. What would you like to do when we get back to campus?"

The White Ranger stopped and thought a moment, "You know... I haven't eaten anything all day. How about we all go out for dinner tonight? Maybe that little Italian place north of campus that I like?"

"Sounds a plan," Joe smiled as they walked, "Your meal will be on us tonight."

"Oh, and one other thing," Claire added turning to the Red Ranger, "Maybe over dinner, you can tell the others about that little dream you keep having?"

Joe stopped for a moment and looked to the puzzled faces of his fellow Rangers before giving a nod and continuing on, "All right Claire. I guess it is about time I asked for help too, huh?"

She smiled and took his arm leading the group to dinner with the rest of the amused and curious Rangers following not far behind.

* * *

Later that night, Joe awoke again to the familiar feel of falling snowflakes and gentle warmth on his face. Again, he slowly sat up and turned around to face the glowing figure of Archangel Auriel standing watch over him. As he looked upon Auriel's bright fiery aura, he could now see a clearer image through the flames.

In one hand, the Archangel held a magnificent looking clarion trumpet at his side.

"Your horn? You're trying to tell me where it is?" the Ranger asked in awe trying to stay focused within the dream like state.

Again, the fiery Archangel raised its hand and placed it over its heart as it began to speak. Despite the clearer image, the voice remained distorted and muffled and Joe was only able to make out an occasional word, "Danger… within… protect… your heart…"

Again an icy gust of snow and wind obscured the angel before the dream faded and Joe awoke, sitting up in his bed. Laying back down in the darkness, he tried to calm his breathing. He was getting closer… but he had to know what Auriel was saying, or warning about. Giving another sigh, he prepared himself to be very tired for his morning classes because he knew at this point... it would be impossible getting back to sleep.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_  
 _ **Hey everyone, here we are at the halfway point of the Four Horsemen arc. Just like the real Horsemen of myth, their presence has set things in motion for the end of this series in the near future. Until we get to the final story arc, the heroes have 2 more Horsemen to deal with as well as a Red Battlizer to recover and some romantic subplots to tie up.**_

 _ **It's hard to believe we've come this far already, but I wanted to give a big thank you to all who have still been reading, reviewing, and following up to now. I promise I'll try to do my best to reward your patience and dedication with a strong Finale. Until then!**_


	57. Cold War

**Episode 29: Part 1  
**

A gentle snowfall sprinkled down over the streets of Hyperion Falls as citizens walked about doing their holiday shopping. Along the parks and walkways, colorful Christmas lights were strewn about while festive decorations hung from the windows of the stores along Main Street. Amid the throng of people, a hooded figure in a ragged blood red cape stood, observing the sight of the happy hopeful citizens. It was disgusting... but that would soon change.

The Horseman named War turned his attention as a shopper wearing an orange winter hat approached him and offered a few dollar bills. With a kind smile, the man said, "Here sir. You look like you could use this. Get yourself something warm to eat."

War smiled and handed the man his money back, shaking his hand as he did, "Oh no sir. You misunderstand. I'm not homeless… but thank you anyway."

"Oh…" the charitable man replied in slight embarrassment unaware of the curse being placed upon him, "I'm so sorry about that. I still hope you have a Merry Christmas."

As the generous man in the orange hat began to walk away, War smiled and followed him into a dense crowd of shoppers. Brushing up against several other people, War gave the orange-hatted man a subtle shove from behind, pushing him into another shopper.

"Hey buddy, watch where you're going!" another man who got bumped exclaimed. At that moment, War began to radiate his cursed aura around the people he touched, watching as the chaos unfolded.

"Who do you think you are? You can't talk to me like that!" the shopper in the orange hat retorted. The Horseman smiled and watched as this little incident rapidly began to escalate into a chain reaction among the crowd until loud angry shouts began to erupt on the city streets.

Soon enough, tempers spilled over as fists began to fly and public property was vandalized. Amid the violent melee, the giddy Horseman casually strolled through the growing riot. To think, humans were so prone to rage and violence that all they needed was a little push. With people's emotions heightened during these Christmas holidays, War could only begin to wonder what other destructive conflicts he could stir up.

* * *

Back in the university dormitory, Danny paced restlessly around the common lounge room while Joe and Nick sat on the couch relaxing.

"I don't know guys," the Blue Ranger muttered, "I want to get Izzy something nice for Christmas this year… but what?"

Joe thought for a moment and shrugged, "Why not keep it simple? A bouquet of nice flowers?"

"Nah, I can't do that," Danny replied shaking his head. "That's way too obvious."

The Red Ranger rolled his eyes, "Right, because you've been so subtle about your crush on her for over a year now. Better to keep her guessing, right?"

Nick began to laugh as Danny crossed his arms with a frown. "Hey! I'm serious. You guys just don't know her like I do. She's playing hard to get so I've got find just the right way to really sweep her off her feet with my thoughtfulness, charm, and devastating good looks ."

The Blue Ranger watched in dismay as his two friends exchanged a look and erupted into another loud fit of laughter.

While they did, the common room door opened and the 3 girls walked in led by Izzy. "Hey guys, what's so funny?" the Pink Ranger asked.

Nick wiped his eye and cleared his throat between giggles, "Err, nothing... what's up Iz?"

Izzy smiled brightly and held up three envelopes, "I'm spreading a little holiday cheer. My sorority's got a Christmas house party coming up this weekend and all of you are invited."

The Green Ranger's face lit up, "Really? Sounds great! Count us in!"

Izzy smiled, "Awesome! Claire, Kara, and I were headed into the city to look for something to wear to the party. You boys don't want to come along too, do you?"

Joe smirked and gave Danny a light elbow in the side, "Sure. Danny, didn't you say you still had some Christmas shopping to do?"

"Uh… right," the Blue Ranger answered quickly.

The other three girls gave him a funny look before turning to walk out of the room. "Ok then," Izzy called, "We're meeting down in the lobby in fifteen minutes to catch the bus."

After the girls left, Nick furrowed his brow, "Are you guys really sure about this? You did hear about that little shopping riot downtown yesterday, right? It was all over the local news."

"Pffft, I've faced more dangerous situations as a Ranger," Danny answered with bravado as he pulled his friends along, "After all, this is for a good cause. We're risking life and limb for the sake of fair Isabel. Let's go!"

* * *

Later that afternoon, the six Vanguard Rangers made their way into downtown Hyperion Falls and entered the large 3 floor central shopping mall. It was an upscale indoor mall which spared the Rangers from the cold and snow outside. Like the shops on Main Street, the mall was festively decorated with Christmas trees, colorful lights, and ornaments. Once inside, the girls split off toward the women's stores leaving the male Rangers standing in the middle of the mall near some fountains and the food court.

"Ok," Danny said looking around, "I gave it some thought on the ride here and I think I know what I'm going to get. Follow me."

While Christmas music played from the mall's speakers, Nick and Joe wove through Christmas shoppers while the Blue Ranger led them along, "Last winter when we were on that mountain looking for the Blind Seer, I remember how cold Izzy had been so I loaned her my scarf. That's why I figured I'd get her a nice pink one to keep her warm this year."

"Simple, functional, and sentimental… sounds like a winner Dan," the Red Ranger nodded in approval.

While they continued to walk, Danny gave a sly smile toward the Green Ranger before speaking, "Hey Joe. While we're doing this, have you considered maybe getting a gift too?"

"For who?"

"For Claire of course," Nick chuckled, "I know we were teasing Dan earlier, but I think it's pretty obvious she's got just as much of a crush on you."

"What? On me?" Joe sputtered defensively, "Come on! You guys are being nuts!"

"Are we?" Danny grinned, "You haven't noticed the little looks and hints? How she's always right behind you in any given situation?"

"Come to think of it, you two have been spending a lot of time together recently," Nick added, "And she's been taking every chance she can get to hang off your arm too."

Joe frowned, "I think you two are imagining things. She's my friend and we're just really comfortable around each other. Besides… even if she did like me, and even if I wanted to have a relationship with her, we'd still have that whole mission to defeat the Cambion demons hanging over our heads. That priority always comes first."

Danny raised an eyebrow, "Aha! So you're not denying you've never thought about it, huh?"

Joe glared at Danny as the Blue Ranger continued, "That's ok man. If you want to plead the Fifth Amendment, I don't blame you. After all, she's cute, brainy, and has a sweet personality."

"Don't forget a great figure," Nick helpfully added, referring to the time he was body swapped with her, "Um, she doesn't like showing it off, but trust me guys... I would know."

Joe growled and gave Nick a forceful punch in the shoulder. "Will you two clowns knock it off? Let's just go and get the damn scarf already!"

"Pretty quick coming to her defense too," Nick said rubbing his shoulder, "Yep. He definitely loves her back."

Joe gave an exasperated huff and walked past while Nick and Danny shared another laugh and continued on toward the clothing store.

* * *

On the other side of the mall, the girls made their way into a department store to look at winter dresses. While Kara patiently stood and let Izzy test the length of a skirt on her, Claire wandered off and passed a funny looking person in a long red winter coat that almost looked like a cape. Giving a shrug, she turned a corner and bumped right into her classmate Jen Kaufman. Not surprisingly, Jen was with her boyfriend Josh, hanging off the arm of the blonde muscular soccer player on the school team. Apparently, they had been too busy nuzzling noses while walking, they didn't even see Claire until it was too late.

"Oh, hi Claire!" Jen exclaimed in her usual bubbly voice, "Sorry about that. I didn't know you were here today too."

The White Ranger forced a polite smile, "Hey Jen. Yeah, Izzy and I went out shopping today for that Christmas party your House is hosting."

"I'm looking forward to it too," Jen grinned nuzzling close to Josh, "I was also here looking for something hot to wear that night too. See you then Claire!"

Claire watched them walk off and wrinkled her nose to herself. She still didn't exactly know how to feel about that flakey ditzy girl who had been a rival for the Red Ranger's affections last year. Even though Jen was technically out of the picture, the fact that being around her still made Joe feel a little uncomfortable, made her feel upset by association. Shaking it off, she decided it was best to just keep browsing and take her mind of it.

A little while later, the three male Rangers made their way back across the mall with Danny proudly carrying the box with Izzy's gift under his arm. As they headed toward the department store where the girls said they'd be, they heard a growing commotion nearby. Upon reaching the front doors of the store, they stopped as they saw handfuls of shoppers arguing loudly amongst each other or exchanging curses and furious insults. Some even walked out and let their fights spill out into the rest of the mall.

"What is going on here?" Nick asked in shock as he witnessed a young husband and wife pushing over some nearby clothing racks while yelling at each other.

"I thought this kind of thing only happens on Black Friday," Danny agreed ducking his head as a thrown cell phone flew past and shattered on the wall.

Turning his head, Joe stopped and froze as he saw Jen and her boyfriend Josh storm past him exchanging irate words and calling each other terrible names. He blinked in confusion as they both stormed past and debated whether or not to step in. Whether it was selfish or not, the thought of coming to Jen's rescue again was tempting, but his attention was drawn away as he saw Claire run up to the boys.

"Guys! Am I glad to see you! Something scary is going on here. Everyone's lost their damn minds!"

Danny stepped forward and put his hands on the White Ranger's shoulders to calm her down, "Ok Claire, just slow down. Where are Izzy and Kara? Are they ok?"

Claire shook her head and pointed across the room full of angry people. There they saw the Pink and Gold Rangers locked in a furious tug of war over a dress, hurling terrible insults at each other.

"Let go already you spoiled little brat! You already have enough nice clothes!" Kara growled.

"Dream on blondie!" Izzy retorted angrily as she pulled back, "This dress won't make your ugly face any prettier!"

Kara reached out an arm and began pushing the Pink Ranger away by the chin as they struggled, "Take that back princess or I'll snap you in half."

"Ohh... catfight. This could be hot," Danny snickered before Claire gave him a sharp warning punch in the side.

"Really Danny? What's the matter with you?" she scowled.

Ignoring the Blue and White Rangers, Joe and Nick rushed over and pulled the two squabbling girls apart, trying to restrain them.

"Hey! Break it up! What's gotten into you two?" the Green Ranger asked as Kara struggled to break free of his gentle headlock.

"She started it!" Izzy shot back angrily while Joe kept his arms around her waist to hold her back. "I saw that dress first!"

"Izzy! Kara! You're both friends! Why are you fighting like this?" Claire pleaded.

The White Ranger was cut off as the others heard a loud maniacal laugh ring out. Amid the little riot that had broken out in the department store, a figure in a long blood red cape stood atop a cashier table enjoying the sight of the enraged humans.

"Too easy! All too easy!" War cackled in glee, kicking a cash register over.

"Hey! This is your doing?" Nick cried stepping forward to address the enemy, "Who are you?"

The Horseman turned to the Green Ranger and began to laugh while drawing a fearsome looking sword, "Don't you recognize me boy? Look around you! So much seething hatred, so much petty anger within your pathetic kind. I am the Horseman named War."

Joe pulled his Keyrune and noted that the other rioting people in the mall were too busy fighting amongst each other to pay attention. "War huh? Do you know what you're good for? Absolutely nothing! Rangers?"

Danny, Nick, and Claire joined in the morphing call, transforming into the celestial guardians of Hyperion Falls, "Vanguard Ascend!"

"Please. You children think you're any different?" War laughed as the four Rangers sprung forward and bull-rushed him out the door into the central atrium of the mall. Despite many terrified and confused shoppers fleeing the scene, there were large swaths of other civilians who were already busy tearing the mall apart and fighting amongst each other, having been cursed with the Horseman's touch.

"There are too many people packed together!" Nick called, "This isn't going to be easy!"

"Watch your attacks!" Joe shouted taking a careful thrust at the Horseman with his gladius. "No blaster weapons either!"

War laughed as he parried aside the sword blow and grabbed the Red Ranger's arm. Placing his curse on the Ranger, War hurled Joe aside into a group of small Christmas trees decorating the central mall.

Giving a derisive sniff, the Red Horseman turned his head to see the White Ranger take a flying leap, preparing to land a two legged drop kick. In a flash, War easily caught hold of her boot and cursed her before spinning her back into the air. While Claire spun about the air in a disoriented tumble, War sent her flying away with a slash of his own sword.

"Come on, we gotta help them!" Nick called as he and Danny rushed forward with their own weapons to try and double team the Horseman. With a warrior's instinct and expert precision, War sidestepped the attacks and easily blocked them with his sword, shoulder checking Nick aside and disarming Danny's spear with a counter move.

As the Blue Ranger rolled to the ground trying to recover from the counter, he saw War reach out, trying to grab his arm and curse him too. In a desperate move, Danny raised his guard, "Whitesteel! Armor on!"

In a flash, the Blue Ranger's arm was endowed with the silver steel armor and buckler granted by the Blind Seer a year ago. As War clamped down on his arm, the Horseman stopped in surprise as his touch curse was blocked by the properties of the enchanted armor.

That moment of hesitation bought Nick just enough time to recover and flip over War's head from behind. War roared as the Green Ranger used the momentum of his flip to strike the Horseman's head with his warhammer. As Nick landed facing Danny, he spun around and sent War reeling backwards with another backhanded hammer strike that normally would have crushed the ribs of a lesser opponent.

"You ok preppy?" Nick asked as he quickly helped his friend up.

Danny glanced over as War slowly rose to his feet again, seemingly unharmed by Nick's blows, "We need to get out of here and regroup. Ready?"

Nick nodded and hurried over toward Joe and Claire, grabbing them from where they lay stunned on the ground.

"That was a cheap shot Rangers," War sneered raising his sword again, "I'll be ready this time."

Danny raised his Keyrune and called on a swirling stream of water from one of the nearby fountains of the mall. "Sorry Red, you're gonna have to take a number."

With a force of his will, the Blue Ranger caused the swirling spiral of water to spray over the battlefield and momentarily blind the Horseman. When War looked up, he saw that the Vanguard Rangers were gone, having used the distraction to retreat.

No matter, the Horseman thought to himself. He was in no rush and things were already a mess in this place. Turning back to the chaos and rioting in the mall, the Horseman calmly shrugged and began to walk outside into the cold snowy air where his mount waited patiently. As he got on his sinister demonic horse, he began to slowly trot out into the streets, eager to spread more discord and hatred across of the city.


	58. Beati Pacifici

**Episode 29: Part 2  
**

Having recovered the other Rangers after their retreat from War, Danny and Nick sat in Professor Bishop's office recounting their situation while the cursed Rangers began to bicker again.

"Thanks a lot for not helping back there," Joe angrily grumbled toward the Pink and Gold Rangers, "While you two were busy arguing, War got the best of us in that fight."

"Well excuse me Mr. High and Mighty," Izzy retorted, "Just because you're the Red Ranger here doesn't mean you can boss us around all the time. It gets really annoying."

Claire rose to her feet frowning, "Izzy! That was uncalled for!"

"Oh what a surprise, Claire is sucking up to Joe again," Kara sniffed, rolling her eyes, "Seriously girl, grow a backbone for yourself."

As the four Rangers erupted into a fresh round of angry bickering, they were silenced as Bishop rose from his seat and roared, "Enough! Everybody quiet, right now!"

The Professor watched as his students fell silent and sat back down with startled looks. Bishop cleared his throat and took a calming breath before turning to the Blue and Green Rangers, "Now then, from what you told me, it sounds like War has the ability to stir people up... as we've already seen. That explains the rash of recent riots in the city."

"Only if he gets a hand on you," Danny added, "The good news is, it looks like our armor can protect us from the curse."

Nick crossed his arms and grimaced, "Maybe... but what good can just two of us do if the others are in no shape to fight?"

"What are you talking about?" Kara snapped, "Do we look like invalids to you?"

Bishop silenced her again with a warning look before the Blue Ranger snapped his fingers. "Maybe Kara is right. Maybe we can use War's curse to our advantage."

"What are you talking about preppy?" Nick frowned.

Danny rose from his seat with a cunning smile, "War's power causes people to go berserk and cut loose right? If we've got four cursed Rangers, what if we can direct all that rage right back at him."

"Sounds great to me," Joe said pounding his fist and rising from his seat, "Let's go."

Nick put a firm hand on his roommate's shoulder and sat him back down, "Slow down bro. If we're going to do this, it's probably best if Danny takes point on this one."

The Red Ranger began to argue until Nick tightened his grip and gave a warning look himself. Turning to Danny, he said, "You know this is going to be kind of risky."

The Blue Ranger nodded, "I know big guy, but it's only going to succeed if you and I work together. We're the only ones who can."

"I'll let the two of you work out the details," Bishop said looking over the others. "In the mean time, I'll try and keep these kids under control."

As the two Rangers stepped out of the office, Nick stopped Danny and held out a hand, "Listen preppy, I know I tend to get on your case a lot, but I just want to let you know that I trust you and I'll always be there to back you up out there."

Danny gave a small smile and shook Nick's hand, "Thanks man. That's probably the smartest thing you've said since we became Rangers. Now come on, we've got a war of our own to win."

* * *

The next day, The Horseman War made this way through the streets as another minor riot erupted in the suburbs of Hyperion Falls. By this point, the city's police forces were exhausted and slow to respond as they had spent the last two days restoring order to the scenes of other violent outbreaks.

As the Horseman trotted down the chaotic street, he saw two winged shadows pass overhead before the Blue and Green Rangers descended in front of his path. War reared his horse and calmly cast an amused smile toward the heroes barring his way.

"You actually decided to come back. I thought you children already learned your lesson."

Nick gripped his Keyrune and smiled, "Oh we did. We're going to show you what we learned. You ready Dan?"

The Blue Ranger nodded and raised his Keyrune, "Let's do it!"

Before War could react, both Rangers traced the sigils of Archangels Fandaniel and Hashmael, emerging in their resplendent golden armor. In a burst of radiant light, the two Rangers split off wide and attacked from two sides.

War gave a laugh and drew his sword, galloping forward to dodge the first passing attack of the winged Rangers. Landing on the ground, Nick drew his weapon while Danny called from above, "Ok, all we have to do is keep War pinned down until Bishop arrives. He's got us marked on his GPS right now."

The Horseman moved to charge forward again but Nick called on his Earth element to summon a host of thick roots from the ground. As the tendrils burst from the nearby sidewalk, they tangled the demonic horse and began to snare the rider. While War struggled to break free, Danny swooped in with his spear and unseated the Horseman as if he were in some angelic jousting match.

War growled as he hit the pavement and rolled over to recover while Danny descended on him continuing the assault. Giving a grunt, War gripped his sword and began to bring it around but the Blue Ranger drove his spear down through the Horseman's forearm to pin it to the ground.

The wounded Horseman roared in pain and shoved Danny aside before pulling the spear out his arm and tossing it away. As he rose to his feet, War was struck again as the Green Ranger hurled his warhammer in a spinning throw which smashed directly into the monster's skull.

"Damn, this guy can take a lot of punishment," Nick gasped as War staggered and clutched his face before rising again to his feet, "Where is Bishop?"

"Just a little longer," Danny said as they both drew their pistols and laid down a barrage of blaster fire.

By now, War began to walk straight into the blaster shots, deflecting several away without a care. "You irritating Rangers are getting me angry now. You think you've seen true fury? Behold!"

The Horseman released a powerful wave of negative energy from his aura which staggered the two Rangers. Both Danny and Nick fell to their knees as the wave of War's power spread out wide over the city, further inflaming the tempers of those he cursed.

"It's too much," Nick gasped trying to withstand the debilitating aura of the furious Horseman.

Suddenly, a familiar silver Chevy Impala turned the corner with Professor Bishop at the wheel and four infuriated Rangers burst from the vehicle headed directly toward War.

"Here comes the cavalry," Danny sighed as the others morphed and used their adrenaline fueled rage to pounce on the Horseman. War's eyes went wide as the four cursed Rangers unloaded and mercilessly pummeled him with a storm of blows from their charged weapons.

"What... how can this be?" War gasped as he fell back and reeled from the furious Rangers' onslaught.

"You reap what you sow War," the Blue Ranger called stepping forward, "You wanted uncontrolled fury and you got it, directed right toward you! Nick, let's finish this."

The Green Ranger recovered his hammer and aimed it toward the ground, causing the earth under War to tremble violently and throw him off balance. The moment War lowered his guard, Danny charged his own spear and hurled it straight into the weakened Horseman like a javelin, punching clean through him.

As War gasped in shock and erupted into a great fireball of violent energy, the Blue and Green Rangers exchanged a high five and a wave to their professor nearby in his car. As the fires subsided, the cursed Rangers stopped and fell to their knees in exhaustion as their minds cleared and their fury subsided.

"Come on," Nick prompted his fellow Ranger, "Let's go see if the others have finally come to their senses.

* * *

Later that afternoon, the Rangers regrouped on campus in Professor Bishop's lecture hall. Despite their relief from victory over another Horseman, there was also some embarrassment at the things that were said and done while under War's curse.

"Oh Joe, I'm so sorry for all those mean things I said earlier," Izzy exclaimed as she gave him an apologetic hug. "I really didn't mean any of it."

"It's ok Iz. I forgive you," he sighed returning the hug, "I really didn't behave any better so I'm sorry too."

Nearby, Kara sat giving the White Ranger a sheepish look, "I uh... regret having said several unpleasant things to you too. I hope you aren't still angry at me either."

To her surprise, Claire smiled and gave Kara a friendly hug, "It's already forgotten."

"Well, glad we were able to bring the band back together," Danny smiled toward Nick as they watched their friends all reconcile with each other, "Who would have thought you and I would be the peace makers for once, huh?"

Nick clapped him on the shoulder and quietly reached into his backpack, handing him a small wrapped up bag, "Speaking of which. I've got a little peace offering of my own to you. You remember how War spoiled our last shopping trip? I went back and got another pink scarf for you to give Izzy later this week... seeing as how you lost the original one in the first battle."

"Thanks man... that means a lot," Danny smiled taking the parcel. "For now, what do you say we just enjoy the peace on earth and good will toward men? Sound good?"

* * *

Later that week, the Rangers dressed up and attended the Christmas party of Izzy's sorority. Despite the chill of the evening, the festivities inside the house were warm and inviting. There were colorful lights and holiday decorations hung up along with some easy Christmas jazz playing in the background. Aside from a fairly large turnout, the inviting smell of appetizers and sweet baked goods wafted from several large tables near a crackling fireplace.

"Well Kara, looks like a great spread, doesn't it?" Nick grinned putting some cheese and spinach puffs on his plate next to a few gingerbread cookies.

The Gold Ranger gave the food an appraising look as he offered the plate and she took a cookie. "Yes. It all looks appetizing," she admitted biting into the cookie with a subdued smile as she enjoyed the taste. "But I'm more glad I am able to partake of this winter holiday with all of you this year. I am enjoying the lights, the music, and the food."

The Green Ranger gave a wink, "Oh, but you're forgetting one of the best parts of the holiday. Gift giving!"

He gestured across the room to where Danny made his way through the party guests and pulled Izzy aside. Nick and Kara watched as Danny presented a wrapped box to the Pink Ranger with a slightly sheepish smile.

"I'm sorry Nick. I didn't know we Rangers had to give gifts to one another tonight," Kara said with a slightly troubled frown.

He waved it off, "We don't have to. But in Danny's case, he just wanted to do something a little extra special. Now hush."

They saw Izzy give a surprised look, then examine her new pink scarf with a delighted smile as Danny kept talking. To his surprise, she reached up with a smile and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, pointing to a sprig of mistletoe hung over the doorway.

"Does the plant have any sort of significance?" Kara asked curiously.

The Green Ranger explained, "Well, it's a holiday tradition to give someone a kiss if you're both standing under the mistletoe."

"But I thought the gift given was romantic in nature, yes? Isn't that why Izzy gave him a kiss?"

"Oh... well, probably that too," Nick shrugged.

"Well, which is it then?" Kara asked shaking her head, "I do not understand. You people have silly traditions."

The Green Ranger gave an exasperated sigh and stuck a gingerbread man in her mouth, "You know what Kara? Just shut up and have another cookie already."

At the other end of the house Joe made his way toward the kitchen to get some eggnog when he stopped and spotted a familiar brunette girl standing outside on the porch by herself. Giving a frown, he opened the door and stepped outside, "Jen? What are you doing? It's cold out here."

Jen turned and gave a sniffle, sounding like she had been crying "Really? I hadn't noticed."

As he approached, he could pick up the strong smell of alcohol on her, extra eggnog rum likely procured from one of her upperclassmen sisters. In her hand was an empty glass.

"Um... Are you drunk?"

Jen shrugged and tossed the glass onto the snowy lawn. "No... maybe... ok, a little."

The Red Ranger shook his head and put the gray cardigan sweater he was wearing over her, "Come on. Let's get you inside before you freeze."

As he led her toward the door, she stopped and cuddled up close to him, resting her cheek against his chest. "Or maybe you can keep me warm tonight?"

Joe froze in shock, "Jen... I... what are you doing? You have a boyfriend..."

"No I don't..." she sniffled, "Not anymore. Not since that stupid monster attack at the mall. Josh and I... we had a really bad fight and he doesn't want to see me anymore... that's why I'm here all alone tonight."

The Red Ranger stood in place, "It's not the end of the world..."

"I just don't feel like being at a party where everyone else is having fun tonight, you know?" Jen argued.

"I'm sorry... but this isn't going to do you any good either."

Jen ignored him and looked up, grasping at the collar of his dress shirt. "But you... you were always there. You always wanted to see me..."

"Well, yeah... but not like this," Joe muttered trying to remove her hand gently. This was becoming a little awkward and embarrassing. Izzy had told him once before that Jen liked to drink and party, but it was kinda pitiful to see her like this now.

"No. I was wrong about you," Jen sighed shaking her head, "You were always nice to me. I shouldn't have turned you down before. But I'm going to fix that right now."

"It's ok... really. You don't have to..."

"I've got a single room here," she said tilting her head up inviting a kiss, "You wouldn't want to go upstairs and... you know?"

The Red Ranger stopped a moment and took a deep breath. He gently pried her loose and stepped back, "I'm sorry... I can't. It just wouldn't be right."

"Why? Is it because I'm drunk?" Jen asked with a surprised frown.

"Well, yes... but... there's also someone else... and she's important to me," Joe said turning toward the door, "I'm sorry Jen."

The Red Ranger gave a deep sigh as he walked back into the warm house and mixed back in with the party guests. As he entered the living room, he saw his other friends laughing, eating, and having a good time.

"Hey Joe, you're just in time," Claire laughed, "You want to place a bet on how many spinach puffs Nick can cram into his mouth?"

The Red Ranger smiled a moment and shook his head, "No, that's ok. I was actually more in the mood for a little dancing. Join me?"

Claire gave a surprised look before taking his hand with a smile.

"Huh... how about that," Danny grinned as he watched the Red and White Rangers take the dance floor and share a laugh while sliding into an easy swing step to the Christmas jazz music.

"Yes. That's wonderful," Kara added before quickly turning back to Nick who stood with a mouth full of food, "Now someone hand me another spinach puff. We are at number 7 now, correct?"

* * *

Late that night, Joe awoke to the familiar feel of snow upon his face. Again, he sat up and gazed upon the splendor of Archangel Auriel who hovered over him like a radiant guardian atop the snowy mountain. This time, something was different. He could see every detail of the majestic hero through the flames and when the angel spoke, he understood him clearly.

"Heed my words Joseph Hale," Auriel said in his deep powerful voice, "The Cambion Lord is coming and great _**danger**_ is upon you now. It is time you took up my greatest weapon, the Trumpet of the Spheres. With it, no demon can stand before you."

"Yes Auriel. I've heard," the Ranger nodded, "But where is it? How do I even find your trumpet?"

"It has been in the safest place of all. The Trumpet has been with you the whole time child. It is a part of me as I have been linked to you and your Keyrune."

Joe frowned, "What? How can that be? I don't understand."

"You have the power to call forth the Trumpet with my Keyrune only, but it must manifest from _**within**_ you," Auriel continued, "You've demonstrated you are worthy now, but you must do the rest for yourself."

"How?"

Auriel raised his hand and brought it to his heart, "The highest power of the Archangels of Eden are borne out of deep Love for others. You must feel the burning flames of a Love that is true and virtuous. That Love is drawn from all the people and places you truly want to _**protect**_ and cannot live without. That blazing Love can only come from _**your heart**_ , and is something you must come to understand for yourself. Only then can you summon my greatest power."

"Auriel! Wait!" Joe cried, but a blinding snowy wind obscured his vision and returned him to his room.

The Red Ranger sat in his bed with his heart racing. That was all too real, and this time, Auriel had succeeded in reaching him. Reaching over to his nightstand, he turned on the light and grabbed a pen and paper. There was work to be done.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **  
Beati Pacifici: Latin for "Blessed are the Peacemakers" /** **Seventh blessing of the Beatitudes**

 **To those asking about the Battlizer, it will see action in Episode 30/Chapter 60 and it will play a role against the final Horseman. It all comes together with the conclusion of the Horseman arc so just be patient a little bit longer. Thanks!**


	59. Angels of Death

**Episode 30: Part 1  
**

Cold wintry air blew through the streets of a run down city district that night. Amid the swirling snow and the whistling winds, a tall hooded figure in white robes passed down the dirty sidewalk of the slums like some sort of wraith. As the thin ghostly figure glided along past another boarded up building, he stopped as he found himself surrounded by four rough looking young men. The burly street thugs were dirty and wore mismatched clothes, all while carrying improvised weapons ranging from brass knuckles to lead pipes.

As the thugs circled the hooded figure like hungry wolves, the leader of the thugs tapped the pipe in his hands with a mocking smile, "Yo buddy... Halloween was two months ago. You ain't gonna find candy out here."

The other gang members laughed as the Pale hooded figure stood motionless. The leader sniffed again, "Hey! You stupid or something? I'm talkin' to you."

"I have nothing to say to a pack of filthy degenerates like you," the Pale figure replied in a level voice.

"Oh you're really askin' for it now," the gang leader growled gesturing to the others, "Let's whoop his ass."

Before the thugs could raise their weapons, the Pale figure known as the Horseman of Death let loose his dark aura that immediately staggered the gang. As each of the thugs felt their bodies suddenly grow very weak, Death sniffed in contempt and reached out with his bony fingers to touch one of the assailants.

In an instant, the thug's eyes rolled up in his head and he collapsed, falling motionless to the frozen street.

"Hey! What did you do to him? Who the hell are you?" the gang leader gasped in sudden terror as the other two thugs dropped to Death's touch. Without a word, the Pale Horseman turned to the last gang member and grabbed him violently by the throat.

Death watched as the leader of the thugs went limp and dropped to the ground with the others. Death looked at the bodies of the fallen gang members with disdain for a moment before calmly reaching down and picking up a handful of fallen snow. He contemplated it for a long moment before continuing on his way, disappearing into the dark swirling winter winds.

* * *

"Are you sure Professor? There's got to be something else in the records about the Trumpet," Joe pleaded over the phone as he paced around the empty central lounge of the ski lodge early that morning. "I mean, what was Auriel getting at? I kinda doubt that going around saying I love you to people or having some big group hug is going to cut it."

"I'm sorry Joe, but I promise you I'm still looking for any other hints that can help us," Bishop answered, "Listen, you said that you haven't had the dream since right around Christmas. Maybe that's all we're going to get."

"But Professor…"

"In the mean time, why don't you just relax and enjoy your little pre New Years ski trip with the others. I promise we'll get back to work on this after the holiday."

The Red Ranger raised an amused eyebrow, "Oh? You've got some interesting plans this year?"

"Maggie's parents are in town visiting and she wants to introduce me to them. I always dread those meet-the-parents scenarios."

"You've already helped us fight Cambion demons head on Professor," Joe laughed, "This should be a walk in the park. Good luck and Happy New Year."

As he hung up his phone and ambled near the fireplace, his five friends entered the warm comfortable lounge accented with dark wood and large glass windows.

"Hey, there you are. Are you gonna join us for breakfast or what?" Nick asked.

"Sorry. I was just talking to Professor Bishop," Joe nodded, "I was wondering if he made any progress on his research about Auriel's Trumpet. I was thinking it might come in handy if the last of the Horsemen shows his face."

The Pink Ranger sighed and flopped down on a cushioned lounge chair, "I know you're concerned about another attack, but come on. It's only been a couple weeks since the last battle. I doubt another Horseman is going to show up so soon, and around the holidays."

"Izzy's right," Danny added thoughtfully, "We could all use a little break. That's why we saved up some money and came here right? It's winter vacation, there's no school, and we're here for New Years Eve. Let's just enjoy ourselves and hit the slopes, starting today!"

Nearby, Kara gave a hesitant look, "Or we could just stay in here where it's nice and warm."

"What? Is Kara the fearless warrior actually afraid of something like skiing?" the Green Ranger teased.

"I am not afraid!" Kara said with a growl, "I just… it looks rather cold outside. Don't you think Claire?"

The White Ranger turned with a playful wink and led the others toward the lodge's dining area while singing a familiar song, " _I don't care what they're going to say. Let the storm rage on. The cold never bothered me anyway…_ "

* * *

Later that day, Gabriel Bishop sat in a local upscale Italian restaurant called Bertolini's skimming through some recent news articles on his smart phone. He frowned slightly as he read about several strange reports of people falling into mysterious comas around the city. While all of them were being attributed to the winter weather, Bishop knew better than to trust the spin of the local news.

"Gabe, please tell me you aren't working again," Dr. Maggie Feldman said putting her hand over his and lowering the phone. "We're here to just have fun tonight and meet my folks, remember?"

Bishop stopped and clasped her hand, giving an apologetic smile toward the woman sitting next to him: his old classmate, longtime friend and colleague, and until recently, girlfriend.

"I'm sorry Maggie. I was just reading the news. It sounded a little strange and I couldn't help but wonder if it was maybe related to the recent monster attacks on the city."

Maggie raised an eyebrow, "You know we do have a local team of Power Rangers to deal with those sorts of things."

"I know," Bishop said trying to sound indifferent, "I just wish sometimes that there was something more we citizens could do to help them."

"Well there's no need to try and risk yourself any more than you need to," she said leaning over to gently kiss his cheek, "You're already my hero for saving my life."

At that moment, Maggie's parents entered the dining area and Bishop rose to his feet. Giving another glance to the graying skies outside, he took a deep breath, "Ok. Here goes nothing."

* * *

A cloud of powdery snow sprayed up in the air as Danny cut around the final turn and headed for the bottom of the ski hill. Taking a quick glance behind him, he saw Izzy and Joe on their snowboards racing close behind trying to catch him. When they neared, the Blue Ranger turned made an abrupt maneuver to kick up another cloud of snow behind him. As expected, the spray momentarily blinded the Red and Pink Rangers causing them both to wipe out at the end. Danny grinned and triumphantly slid across the finish line.

Upon reaching the end, he saw Nick and Claire helping guide Kara along on her own pair or skis. Giving a smile he asked, "How's the trainee coming along?"

"She's got the basics," Nick sighed, "Now we just have to convince her to let go of us."

"I fail to see the reason I should risk breaking my leg on the slopes," the Gold Ranger replied primly.

Claire simply rolled her eyes and smiled while Joe and Izzy finally caught up, still covered in snow. "Looks like you two owe Danny the first two rounds of hot chocolate back at the lodge."

"How about a rematch? Double or nothing?" the Red Ranger said sticking his tongue out and tossing a handful of snow at Danny.

"I don't know, it's starting to get a little cloudy. Don't you think?" Izzy asked looking to the gathering clouds in the sky.

Just then, Danny's phone began to vibrate and he looked to the caller ID, "Uh oh guys. Looks like Bishop. Whatever it is, it can't be good."

* * *

Meanwhile, midway through the meal, Mr. Feldman turned to Bishop and gave him a curious look, "So Gabe, Maggie tells us that you've been very busy lately with some sort of secret research project. I'm actually a bit of an ancient History buff myself and was a little curious if maybe you could share any tidbits of your findings… between two enthusiasts of course."

"Oh… well…" Bishop floundered toward the older man, "It ah… involves some studies about some new tribe that may have come before the ancient Greeks and Romans. There's a lot of archaeology and linguistics involved so I won't bore you with all the technical details."

"Really?" Maggie asked curiously, "I actually think that sounds interesting."

Bishop forced a smile and waved it off as a waiter came by to refill his water glass, "Oh, trust me… it would bore you to death."

As he spoke those words, Bishop glanced up at the waiter and saw the young man stagger for a moment and nearly drop his water pitcher. At the edge of the room, he could also hear several plates and pieces of silverware drop to the floor.

"What's going on here?" Mrs. Feldman asked with wide eyes before the door burst open and a tall hooded figure in Pale robes entered.

From where he sat, Bishop could feel the cold air rush in from outside as well as a tingling feeling in his muscles. Strangely, he began to relax and feel sluggish. Near the front of the restaurant, several staff people tried to jump in the way of the intruder and grab him, but as they did, they collapsed limply to the floor.

The Horseman of Death strode further into the dining area as people began slumping in their seats, weakened by the monster's sinister aura, but not before Bishop sent an emergency message to his Rangers. Everyone watched as the gaunt hooded monster gazed around the restaurant until he settled on Bishop's table. Gliding over, he raised a bony finger toward the professor and said, "You. You are coming with me."

"The hell I am," Bishop retorted, "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

Death loomed over him angrily, "Do not try my patience human. It is not wise to try and avoid the Horseman of Death. Now come with me."

"Did he just say, Death?" Maggie gasped in terror.

The Professor ignored her and glanced around the startled room before turning to stare down the Horseman. "If I come quietly, you won't harm any of these people?"

The Pale Horseman growled before giving a slight nod, "For now anyway."

Bishop rose up and began to follow Death when Maggie jumped from the table and tried to get in the way, "Gabriel! What are you doing? Don't go with him!"

Before he could react, Death reached out and caught her arm to restrain her, then let go as the Botany professor toppled to the ground in a heap.

"Maggie!" Bishop cried in alarm as he fell to her side and cradled her limp form. This couldn't be happening. It was like losing his old fiancee Julia all over again. He wouldn't go through this. To his relief, he felt a faint pulse and detected shallow breathing coming from his girlfriend. Like the other victims, she was only in a deep coma.

Mr. and Mrs. Feldman were beside themselves in shock and horror as Death spoke again, "We waste time here."

Bishop brushed a strand of Maggie's red hair away and kissed her forehead before looking up defiantly, "You know what? I changed my mind. You'll have to take me too."

Before Death could reach down and curse Bishop as well, he glanced out the window and saw six winged Power Rangers descend outside, standing ready to confront him. The Horseman gave an amused sneer and phased through the restaurant window to meet the morphed heroes out in the open. As he did, he summoned a large fearsome looking scythe.

"Rangers… I've been looking for you. Now that you're here, I have no use for your teacher."

"What have you done to Professor Bishop?" Kara snarled protectively.

"Nothing," Death answered, reaching for his hood "But I have seen how important he is to all of you. I have seen into the future to witness many other things… including your inevitable doom."

The Pale being removed his hood to reveal a gaunt sallow skinned head of a withered man with no eyes.

"That's so gross!" Izzy muttered as the Horseman cackled.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you're the Horseman of Death," Nick called out cracking his knuckles.

The Pale Rider snorted, "How surprising. You aren't as stupid as you look child."

Kara cut him off before he could continue, "What do you want here Death? Your three brothers tried to ruin this city and they've all been destroyed."

Death began to laugh in amusement, "My brothers were all short sighted fools… too preoccupied with temporal short lived suffering for this city. But death… that is inevitable and comes to all. No matter how long it takes, nothing will ever change that."

"Maybe so Horseman," the Red Ranger answered drawing his sword, "But we're going to fight it as long as we possibly can. Everyone, let's put the last of these guys away."

The other Rangers drew their Astral Armament and charged in to aid their teacher inside the restaurant.

"Foolish Rangers, you're playing right into my plan," Death laughed aloud as Nick and Kara charged in first with their weapons raised. The Horseman gave two great swings of his scythe and the two Rangers raised their guards just in time to block the strikes. Still, the force of the blows swept them both aside and they tumbled away.

As they did, Danny, Izzy, and Claire all drew their Keyrunes and called forth their elements into a combination attack. As streams of water burst from the Blue Ranger's artifact, Claire waved her Keyrune and froze them solid into large jagged icicles. Before the frozen bolts could hit the ground, the Pink Ranger called up a powerful gale of wind to hurl the icy projectiles directly at Death.

Everyone stared in shock as the Horseman freely accepted the deadly barrage, letting several of the spikes impale him. While the Horseman gripped an icicle and pulled it out of his chest, the Red Ranger charged in and harried Death with a flurry of fiery slashes and thrusts of his saber.

Giving a grunt, the Horseman blocked the Ranger's sword blows and locked weapons again, before Joe changed his grip and turned both weapons aside, allowing for a gap in his enemy's guard. Immediately, the Blue, White and Pink Rangers attacked together with their piercing weapons, but stopped as they were hit by Death's fearsome aura.

All the Rangers staggered for a moment, before Death brought his scythe around in a circular reaping swing, striking all four of them and sweeping them aside. As they fell to the ground in a stunned heap, the debilitating energy behind the Horseman's attack caused them to demorph as well.

Seeing the battle suddenly turn around, Nick gestured to the Gold Ranger, "Come on! We've gotta help the others!"

Just as the two remaining Rangers moved to counterattack, the Pale Rider summoned his demonic steed which swept down from the skies in a flash and plowed into them. Death watched impassively as Nick and Kara rolled to the ground momentarily stunned. Turning his head, the Horseman strode over to where Claire lay on the ground. "You are the one I ultimately came for."

With surprising strength, the Horseman scooped her up and placed her on his steed before mounting the horse himself. As the other Rangers came to their senses, they looked up and saw the still unconscious White Ranger propped up on Death's steed. Giving a sneer to them, Death pointed to one of the tallest mountains in the near distant horizon, "You've done your part now Rangers. Whether you chose to meet your ends by waiting here or trying to stop me, it makes no difference."

At that moment, Joe gave a furious growl and staggered to his feet as the Horseman took off into the sky with his hostage. Grabbing his blazing Keyrune, the Red Ranger hurled several searing bolts of fire into the air after the Pale Rider.

"Death! Get back here!" he roared, "Stand and fight me you bastard! Do you hear me?"

He suddenly felt two strong pairs of arms grab him from behind and restrain him as Nick and Danny moved to halt their enraged leader.

"Hey! Easy does it man!" Nick said, "Slow down and think for a minute."

"Let me go! We have to help Claire!" Joe growled, thrashing again before Danny tightened his grip.

"We will, but Death already played us once today. If we walk right into his hands again, we might all get killed."

Kara narrowed her gaze toward the distant mountain with a grim frown, "Danny is right. We still have a little time to regroup and plan a new strategy. Death would not have taken Claire hostage unless she would be of some use to him. At the very least, we know where he will be"

The Red Ranger relaxed and exhaled deeply before giving a small nod, "Ok… ok… where is Bishop? We make sure he's safe first... then we bring Claire home."


	60. Defense of the Heart

**Episode 30: Part 2** **  
**

Claire Li groaned and cracked her eyes open, finding herself lying in the snow on a flat mountain plateau overlooking Hyperion Falls. To her dismay, she had lost her glasses in the battle and her long distance vision was slightly blurred. It was times like this she wished she wore her contact lenses more often. Looming over her was the sinister form of the Pale Horseman who stood patiently waiting.

"You're awake," he said in an almost bored tone.

"Where am I? What have you done?" Claire gasped trying to scramble to her feet and get away.

She was halted as Death swiftly leveled his scythe on her, "Where you are is of no consequence White Ranger. The only thing that matters is your helping me in conquering the city."

"What makes you think I'm going to help you?" Claire shot back defiantly.

Death gave a sidelong glance to her, looking unperturbed, "Because if you don't, all the people I have cursed will die this very instant."

Claire frowned in confusion as the Horseman continued, "The people I have cursed now lie in a deathlike slumber. It takes a great deal of energy but if I will it, they can slip away into oblivion. Do you want the deaths of a hundred innocent lives on your hands alone?"

The White Ranger paused and clenched her fists in frustration. He was right. It would be too costly to call his bluff. "All right… but what about my friends? What about the other Rangers?"

Death shrugged, "They are alive for now. They seem to be under the misguided notion that they can rescue you."

"Why me?" Claire asked feeling a wave of despair wash over her, "What do you want?"

The Horseman reached into his robes and pulled out a large glowing globe of energy. Inside the globe looked to be a swirling mass of icy magic. "In this globe are winter snows that have been infused with my death curse. I need you to energize this globe with enough of your power so that a great cloud of cursed snowfall descends on the city below. Only you can give me the means to spread my curse quicker and more efficiently than any Horseman before."

"And what then?" Claire asked, "What good is an empty city full of people locked in a perpetual coma?"

Death laughed, "You said it yourself girl, perpetual suffering. It's too easy and wasteful to simply snuff out a life. Like death, those people will be eternal, forever in a state of suffering and always fearful of oblivion."

"You're a sick bastard, you know that?" Claire spat.

Death turned to her with a laugh, "And you have no other options but to shut your mouth and begin charging my orb… or else."

The White Ranger scowled and grudgingly drew her Keyrune, calling on her wintery magic to slowly increase the yield of the Death blizzard.

* * *

Back in Hyperion Falls, the Vanguard Rangers regrouped inside the restaurant as a team of paramedics wheeled out several of Death's victims on stretchers. Nearby, Mr. and Mrs. Feldman were visibly shaken and traumatized by the event. As the crowd began to clear and the Feldmans left to oversee Maggie at the hospital, the Rangers sat with their mentor in the empty dining area.

After sharing their stories, Professor Bishop looked over his students and gave a worried look. Nick was the first to speak, "I know you're worried about Dr. Feldman. I am too..."

"She'll be fine," Bishop said firmly trying to calm himself and stay focused, "As long as Death is active, the people he cursed will be in their comas. The important thing is that we get Claire back. What do you think he wanted with her?"

"Who cares? We're wasting time and it's getting late," Joe said impatiently looking out the window to the dark skies as evening had already fallen. "We know which mountaintop he's on, so that makes things easier."

"You do know we're probably walking into a trap," Danny pointed out.

Kara crossed her arms, "I'm afraid we don't have any other choice. I agree that we should hurry though. We don't know how much longer Death intends to keep her hostage."

The Red Ranger nodded, "Right. It's going to be a precision strike then. We go in, get Claire, and get out. Likely that would foil Death's plan so we can always regroup later and take him on another day."

The other Rangers wore serious expressions and nodded in agreement before leaving the restaurant, all silently determined to retrieve their captive friend and comrade.

* * *

Some time later, the five remaining Vanguard Rangers morphed and took off toward the mountains as fast as their wings would carry them. As they soared up the mountain, they couldn't help but notice how cold and dark the night had gotten and they hoped they would be able to spot their missing Ranger.

Heading up the main trails of the snow covered mountain, they spotted a glowing light near the top of the mountain before a few volleys of icy crossbow bolts rang out causing the Rangers to scatter. As they regrouped in their midair formation, they spotted a group of wraiths no doubt summoned by the Horseman to block the Rangers' way. The minions looked to be made of composite ice, rocks, and dark magic.

Danny turned to Joe and gestured to the top of the mountain, "Go on ahead. We'll take care of these guys and clear our path of escape!"

The Red Ranger nodded before giving a wave, "Izzy, you're with me. The rest of you, take out those foot soldiers!"

While Joe and Izzy continued to soar higher, the Blue, Green, and Gold Rangers peeled off in midair and drew their weapons, diving down like avenging angels themselves. They only hoped they would be able to buy enough time for a successful rescue.

Finally, the Red and Pink Rangers made it to the top and swooped in, landing at the mountain plateau. Nearby, the Horseman of Death stood gripping Claire while watching his great glowing orb of death-bringing snowfall begin to coalesce in its final form. In Claire's hand, the glow of her Keyrune began to flicker as she was already drained and over-exerted against her will.

In an instant, a golden blaster bolt rang out and struck Death's arm causing him to abruptly release Claire from his grasp. The Horseman turned and glared as the Red Ranger holstered his pistol and Izzy rushed over to grab the exhausted looking White Ranger.

"You're too late Rangers," Death sneered, "My orb of death-bringing snow is nearly complete. Do you really think you can stop me now?"

"If we destroy you, your little snowglobe goes too," Izzy said securing her weakened friend under her arm.

"Izzy, get Claire out of here," Joe instructed as he called his saber sword, "I'll cover your retreat."

"What about you?" Claire protested weakly, "Now is not the time for your stupid heroics."

Joe leveled his sword at Death and ignited it, "Don't argue with me you two. Someone's still got to stop that Cursed Snow from falling."

The Pink Ranger nodded grimly as she gripped Claire and called her wings, taking flight back down the snowy slope.

Death watched with indifference as the girls flew away before turning to the Red Ranger and summoning his scythe. "You really are a fool, boy. You must have a death wish."

"Coming from you, the irony is not lost on me," Joe growled charging forward and trying to strike at the orb of cursed snow with his blade.

Before the Ranger could reach the orb, his slash was blocked by the Horseman and turned aside, forcing him into a recovery roll to regain his balance. As he did, Joe slashed the air again, throwing a cloud of searing fire at the Horseman, but Death simply walked right through it and brushed it off his cloak before clashing weapons again.

"I tire of your arrogance mortal!" the Pale Rider growled turning on his aura and weakening the stubborn Ranger.

Joe gasped as the intense aura drained his strength and the flame of his saber abruptly sputtered out. Giving one derisive snort, Death brought his scythe around in a great strike, slashing the Red Ranger and shattering the visor of his helmet in the same blow.

The pulsing light of the cursed orb kept glowing as Joe gasped and struggled to rise from the crippling blow. His head was ringing and he could feel a faint trickle of blood run down his brow where he was struck. The Horseman watched the wounded Ranger attempt to stand again before collapsing back into the snow with a groan.

"It's over Ranger," Death said as he menacingly loomed overhead, "You waste your energy struggling. Soon, all the people of the city below us will be in my grasp. Imagine what that demon lord Gideon would offer in exchange for such a prize."

"I'm going to stop you…" Joe panted, struggling in vain to rise again.

The Pale Rider rolled him over with his scythe and put the tip of the blade to his throat, "I think not Red Ranger. I'm going to take your life… then the lives of your Ranger friends one by one. Perhaps I'll save the White Ranger for last. After all she did help make this possible."

"No…" Joe gasped in horror at the thought as he reached for his Keyrune in one final desperate attack. Death laughed and stamped his foot down on the Ranger's arm, painfully pinning it to the ground, even as the artifact began to flare.

"Yes!" the Horseman corrected him, "There is no power on earth more powerful than death."

Death was right. This situation was completely hopeless, but he still had to do something… for the people of Hyperion Falls, for his fellow Rangers… for Claire. He would not let them die. Joe gripped his Keyrune tightly and felt it began to buzz with power.

Death stopped and watched in awe as the Keyrune's glow intensified and a swirling nimbus of fire and light erupted. To the Red Ranger's amazement, the effects of Death's aura faded and he suddenly felt his strength returning and his injuries fading. As he slowly rose to his feet, he looked to his Keyrune and watched as it transfigured into a brilliant clarion trumpet made of ornate gold. This was it! Auriel's Trumpet!

"What… is this?" the Horseman gasped stepping back in genuine surprise.

Joe gripped the trumpet and raised it with a defiant smile, "You're wrong Horseman. You forgot the one thing stronger than death. _Omnia Vincit Amor_... Love Conquers All!"

As he put the trumpet to his lips and blew, a loud crisp note sounded over the mountains and the trumpet detonated into a brilliant light.

* * *

Further down the mountains, Danny, Nick, and Kara regrouped with Izzy and Claire from their own battle as they heard the trumpet's blast. Izzy touched down gently and propped up an exhausted looking Claire in her arms.

"You made it!" Danny smiled in relief, "Are you ok? Where is Joe?"

"Being a hero and covering our escape," the Pink Ranger said tiredly but with concern.

"Whoah... what the hell was that?" Nick asked glancing upward while Danny pointed toward the mountaintop.

The five Rangers stopped and stared as a brilliant light lit up the plateau above and cast a powerful red glow. To their amazement, they saw six great plumes of fire flare outward and almost take the shape of wings.

"Is that what I think it is?" Nick asked in awe.

"He did it," Kara smiled gleefully, "He summoned Auriel's Trumpet! The Red Seraphim has returned!"

* * *

Back on the plateau, the Horseman of Death recoiled from the majestic light of the Seraphim angel before him. The Seraph was adorned in a full suit of immaculate polished plate armor giving off a reddish gold sheen. Inscribed on the ancient pauldrons and gauntlets were protective sigils and wards while light from the fires reflected off the sunburst motif embossed on the cuirass. In place of the old Ranger helmet was one of ancient Corinthian design while ringing the crown of the helmet was a pair of golden wings, resembling a halo.

Amid the firestorm that radiated from the angelic paladin's six great wings, Death watched as the Red Ranger's saber became a large bastard sword wreathed in swirling flames and was leveled toward him. "It's time to bring you to justice Horseman."

Death snarled in fury and raised his scythe as the Seraph overpowered his dark aura with his own nimbus of celestial energy. Giving a cry, the Horseman brought his weapon around in a great swing, but Joe easily shattered the blade of the scythe with one devastating counter-blow. In a heartbeat, he followed up with a backhanded sword strike that left a deep searing gash along the Horseman's chest and set his robes on fire.

Death staggered sideways before desperately trying to attack again with the stump of his weapon. Joe was too fast and grabbed the Horseman's forearm causing Death to screech in pain from the Ranger's blazing grip. In a flash, Joe gave a vengeful shout and brought his armored fist around, connecting with Death's skull and knocking the Horseman to the ground.

The battered Horseman desperately staggered back to his feet while the furious Seraphim approached calmly.

"All this time, you've been so obsessed with bringing about the End so now I'll grant you your wish," Joe called out charging his blade for one last attack.

As the wounded Horseman stood with his burning robes, he trembled in pure awe as the Seraph surged forward amid a cascading wave of elemental fire and sunlight spilling from his six wings. The moment the Seraphim's blade bisected him, Death gave a terrible shriek as his entire being was completely incinerated in the Red Ranger's overwhelming attack.

Riding the surging wave of the attack, Joe continued forward and brought the rest of the holy fire-blast to bear on Death's orb of cursed snow. As the good and evil energies reacted, the orb detonated and released a powerful explosion of wintry energy, which in turn triggered a massive avalanche from the snowy peak of the mountain. While unharmed from the blast, the Red Ranger looked up and curled his fiery wings together as the tidal wave of snow crashed upon him and continued to surge down the steep mountainside.

* * *

Meanwhile, the other Rangers watched in wonder as a great fireball erupted from the top of the mountain, followed by what looked to be a massive landslide of snow and ice.

"Holy crap," Nick gasped. "Joe must have just smoked Death."

Kara fixed her eyes on the distant avalanche headed their way, "Unless we all think of something quickly, we may suffer the same fate."

Izzy felt Claire shrug off her arm that supported her and the White Ranger staggered forward gripping her Keyrune. "This is my element. I'll do something to protect us."

Danny hurried over in concern and helped hold her up, "Don't be crazy Claire. You're not going to be strong enough to turn that aside."

The White Ranger shook her head and gave a determined expression, "I have to try. All of you risked yourselves to try and save me. Now it's my turn to protect all of you."

"Take the lead chica," Izzy said grimly while charging her own wind element, "Danny and I will be here to back you up."

The Blue Ranger nodded and readied his Keyrune as Claire stepped forward and morphed. Raising her own Keyrune against the oncoming wave of snow, tendrils of icy power began to radiate outward into the snow and ice around them. Following Claire's lead, Danny and Izzy focused the power of their elements through her artifact and helped her create a magnificent fortified turret of ice to protect them.

Kara and Nick watched in wonder as the thick barrier of enchanted ice formed around them and crystallized just as the tumult of snow crashed down upon them in a terrible roar. For a few terrifying minutes, the sheer force of the mountaintops swept over the five Rangers and they braced themselves for the worst… but it never came. Eventually the roar of snow let up and an unearthly silence fell over the land.

As the clouds of snow from the devastating avalanche subsided, the five Rangers breathed a great sigh of relief, not only at still being alive, but also seeing the faint rays of the morning sun begin to peek out over the mountaintops.

After carefully digging out of their little ice fortress, the exhausted Rangers sat breathing in the cold fresh air while a gentle snow continued to fall. While they did, Claire removed her helmet and looked back up toward the mountain where they had seen the brilliant flames of the Seraphim's wings. Without her glasses, it was a little harder to see out in the distance as Nick placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. She took a deep breath, "Do you... think he survived?"

Several long moments passed before they heard Izzy give an excited cry while Danny laughed aloud and pointed in the distance, "Maybe you should ask him for yourself."

The other Rangers peered out in the distance as the sky began to light up and they saw the familiar suit of the Red Ranger. He trudged along slowly through the snow with a slight limp, looking exhausted. Having powered down to his basic Ranger suit, Joe pulled off his helmet with a still shattered visor and tossed it aside, giving a serene smile at the sight of his friends.

Before the others could run out to greet him, Claire rushed forward and threw herself into Joe's arms, knocking them both backwards into the snow.

"You came back," she cried burying her face into his chest with tears of relief, "You idiot! I was so scared for you."

"Thanks," he sighed, gingerly putting his arms around her as she lay on top of him in the snow, "I scared myself a little too."

After a few moments of sobbing, she raised her head, "The trumpet... you were able to summon Auriel's power?"

Joe nodded, "Because of you Claire. When Death took you away, I just had to get you back. You're too important to this team... and to me. Auriel said I would understand when I had to fight to protect the people and places I truly loved, and I realized I couldn't live with myself if I let anything happen to you."

A smile crossed Claire's face, "Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to say that?"

He smiled back and brushed aside a loose strand of her hair, cupping her cheek in his hand, "Then let me tell you again... but in a different way."

Reaching up, the Red Ranger gently pressed his lips to hers in a long soulful kiss.

As they broke the kiss, they heard the sound of Nick clapping his hands with a grin, "Well, it's about time!"

"Indeed," Kara added with a serene smile.

Beside her, Danny winked and gave an enthusiastic thumbs up, "Why don't you two get a room already."

He was cut off by a sharp elbow in the side from Izzy, "I swear to God Danny, if you ruin this moment, then so help me I'll..."

The Red and White Rangers ignored their friends and turned back to each other with a chuckle.

"I'm curious. What ever happened to that whole swearing off romance until Gideon was defeated thing?" Claire asked.

"This is a special exception," Joe grinned sheepishly, "You know… it's already New Years Day and I was kinda hoping I could have used it as an excuse to kiss you at midnight. I'm sorry I was a little bit late with all that."

Claire shook her head and gently touched the Red Ranger's cheek, "That's ok. We have plenty of time to catch up. Kiss me again Joseph Hale."

Joe glanced toward the others for a moment self-consciously, "Um… you do know the others are all watching, right?"

"Let them watch then," Claire laughed with a suggestive smile.

As the sunlight grew brighter in the sky, the other Rangers laughed and turned away while Joe and Claire continued to hold each other, sharing another passionate kiss in the snow. It had been a long a grueling fight, but the Four Horsemen were finally defeated. While Gideon and his Cambion army still remained, the Rangers turned to watch the bright horizon and reflect on the past year.

All year there had been countless struggles and tests of maturity, but also plenty of victories and things to be thankful for. They had grown stronger as friends and heroes, increased their powers, but most importantly, they had each other again. As the light of the morning sun washed over the serene mountain peaks, it gave the Vanguard Rangers renewed hope that they would ultimately prevail and bring about a lasting peace for their home.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 _ **Seraphim:**_  
 _Highest rank of Angels in the Christian angelic hierarchy. Caretakers of God's throne, they are traditionally depicted with having six wings and being associated with holy flames, light, and the sun._

 **With all Four Horsemen finally gone, I decided I'd end the arc on a high note: with a Battlizer in hand and a romance resolved. In the mean time, Gideon and his Cambion demons are marshaling their forces for one final push and the Endgame is fast approaching.**

 **Before we get to the final Invasion super-arc, I think one last breather episode is in order. You can expect a Blue-Pink centric theme and a call-back to our heroes' prior run in with the succubus Lilith. As always, thanks for reading and hope to see you then everyone!**


	61. Love is Patient, Love is Kind

**Episode 31: Part 1  
**

It had been just over a month since the Vanguard Rangers had ended a climactic battle against the menace of the Four Horsemen atop the mountains. In addition, they had even acquired the powers of the Red Seraphim battle armor, an invaluable new weapon in the fight against Archangel Gideon and his army of Cambion demons.

Still, the demons had been quiet of late. Whether it was because they were too distracted by their own infighting or intimidated by the Rangers' recent triumphs, it was hard to say. For the time being, the Rangers all decided to try and enjoy the temporary peace and return to a relative state of normalcy.

It was a gray Monday afternoon in February as Isabel Herrera carried some boxes of decorations for an event later in the week. Valentine's Day was coming up that weekend and her sorority was sponsoring a Valentine's Day dance competition to raise money for charity. As she made her way down the snowy street toward the Union, Izzy smiled to herself thinking how much fun this was all going to be.

Valentine's Day had always been one of her favorite holidays and she loved the idea of excitement and romance. There would be dancing at the event, which was another activity she loved to do and she had a perfect dance partner in mind to help win it this year. Her thoughts turned to her friend and fellow Ranger Danny Winthrope.

He had always been a difficult person to peg and in many ways seemed like a walking contradiction. He was always well dressed and came from a wealthy family, yet he was a surprisingly modest person who seemed to hate the behavior of snobby rich people. He sometimes slacked off in his studies, but in reality was a very smart person. Other times he behaved like a bit of a clown, but also knew when to be serious and had proven himself to be an excellent second in command to the Rangers in battle.

She also knew he liked her and would tease and flirt at every opportunity. While she had found it annoying at first, she had begun to change her mind. As she got to know him better and become his friend, she saw that he truly was a good person at heart, showing himself to be a brave teammate, a caring friend, and someone who was genuinely thoughtful towards others. Even now, she sometimes found herself thinking of him and feeling attracted, but she wasn't completely sure... much less able to confront him about it.

Perhaps having him be her dance partner would be a good way to find out for certain how she felt, especially since she knew he was an excellent dancer too. As a passing thought, she smiled and wondered if she should also try to talk Joe and Claire into coming too. While the Red and White Rangers were nowhere near as good at dancing as she and Danny were, those two would likely still have fun doing something romantic since they had begun dating.

As she turned a corner, she bumped into another person and spilled her boxes to the ground.

"Oh, I'm so sorry about that," said a handsome young man in a black coat who looked to be a fellow student at the University. He was tall, well dressed and had dark Mediterranean features, "Here let me help you with that."

To Izzy's surprise, he hurriedly picked up the boxes and handed them back to her with a stunning smile, "It was hard to see around those boxes, but I didn't think there would be such a pretty girl behind them."

As he handed the boxes back, their fingers touched and the Pink Ranger felt a strange electrifying feeling while her mind felt a little fuzzy. "I uh... thank you," she stammered back lamely. "I was just headed to the Union with these."

"Well, that's not far at all. Let me help carry these for you... um?"

"Isabel," she answered dumbly with a blush which made him laugh.

"Nice to meet you Isabel. And what a pretty name too. My name is Lucas. Lucas Sarpente."

Hefting the boxes, he gave a wink and tilted his head toward the Union, "Shall we?"

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the Dark Spire of the Abyss, Lady Shemhazai made her rounds, busily accounting for her all her remaining troops. On Lord Gideon's orders, they would all be moving out soon and attempt to breech the Great Seal to Earth. As she swiftly made her way down a dark hallway, she ground her teeth angrily, "Where is that accursed incubus? The Legion is mobilizing and he is nowhere to be found!"

The Cambion Counselor stopped and glanced over as a shade materialized from the darkness to give a report to her, "My Lady Shemhazai, if you seek the demon Lucavis, he has left the Abyss and headed to Earth by himself."

Shemhazai narrowed her eyes furiously and snarled, "Without my consent? Why would he do such a thing?"

The shade bowed its head respectfully to its mistress, "I am not certain my lady. He had mentioned something about settling a personal grudge."

Shemhazai scowled. The thought of a member of her legion deserting to get revenge made her uneasy. The stupid incubus was acting out of blind passion and would no doubt be dangerous. Still, he was the Rangers' problem now, not hers.

"Very well," she nodded before turning away and heading back down the hall, "Continue with the invasion plans. Relay a message to all the other troops in my legion. If there are any more renegade demons who move without my orders, they will face summary execution at my own hand. Is that understood?"

The shade bowed and sunk back into the shadows, "Perfectly my lady."

* * *

Back at the university, Danny Winthrope sat taking a breather in one of the campus gyms as the other Rangers finished some sparring practice with Kara. Even if there hadn't been any demon attacks recently, they felt it was a good idea to stay sharp and keep learning new hand to hand fighting moves from Kara.

While the Blue Ranger wiped some sweat from his brow, he glanced nearby to see Claire hand Joe a water bottle with a sweet smile, "Thought you could use a drink Joey."

"Thanks Claire bear," he grinned as the two shared a quick kiss on the lips and exchanged a playful laugh between each other.

Danny smiled to himself and gave a small sigh. He was genuinely happy for his two friends and glad that they could freely act on their feelings for each other now. In a way, it was also a little encouraging to him thinking that if they could be brave enough to start an official relationship, then there was no reason he couldn't either.

"They're cute, aren't they?" Nick grinned, interrupting Danny's train of thought, "You thinking about following their example?"

Danny glanced over as the Green Ranger approached then shrugged, "Maybe. Izzy was going to come by and meet me here after practice. She said she was going to ask me to do a special favor for her."

"Special favor eh?" Nick chuckled waggling his eyebrows, "I wonder what kind."

The Blue Ranger tossed his sweaty towel into Nick's face and checked his wristwatch, "Get your mind out of the gutter dude. Come to think of it, she's actually running a little late."

"Come on, there's really no need to worry... is there?" Nick grumbled as he pulled the dirty towel off him.

Danny grabbed his gym bag and hurried out the door giving his other friends a wave goodbye, "She said she'd be at the Union today. If she's running late, I might as well go try to catch her first."

After a short jog to the Union, he was surprised she wasn't there either. According to one of her sorority sisters who was still decorating, Izzy had left for the Mugshot café a short while ago. With a confused shake of his head, he made his way across campus town and finally arrived at the café. As he tiredly opened the door and stepped in, he found Izzy sitting at a nearby table laughing and having a cup of coffee with another young man.

The Blue Ranger felt his pulse quicken and heat rise from his collar as he steadied his breathing and tried to maintain a neutral expression. Upon reaching the table, he cleared his throat, "Izzy? Hi. What's going on here?"

The Pink Ranger's eyes went wide as she checked her watch and covered her mouth. "Oh my gosh! Danny! I'm so sorry! I forgot I was supposed to come meet you at the gym today. I completely got caught up in all the activities this afternoon and it slipped my mind."

She seemed apologetic enough, but the Blue Ranger cast a wary glance over to the other guy, "I can see that... Who's your friend?"

"Oh... Danny, this is Lucas Sarpente. He's a Junior here majoring in Finance."

Danny eyed Lucas carefully and gave a half hearted handshake, "Danny Winthrope. I don't recall seeing you in any classes."

"Oh... I just transferred in," Lucas replied giving a charming smile, "I actually just bumped into Isabel today on the quad and she was helping me get oriented."

The Blue Ranger kept a stony expression, "You know, they do have maps in the Student Services office."

Izzy gave a slight frown, "Danny. Be nice."

Danny ignored her chiding and asked, "Izzy, I came because there's something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Right. I wanted to tell you about the Valentine's Day dance contest this coming Saturday. We're raising money for charity and..."

"Did you say dance contest?" Lucas interrupted with a bright smile, "What a great opportunity! I love to dance. Back home, I even won a few awards from some local competitions!"

Izzy stopped and gave an impressed look, "Really? I... wow... I'd be interested to hear more about..."

Danny cleared his throat again showing a hint of growing annoyance, "Excuse me Lucas. Do you mind not interrupting for a minute? I was trying to talk to Izzy here."

"Danny! You're being awfully rude now," Izzy cut in with a glare.

Lucas gave a smile and waved it off, extending a gallant hand, "Trust me. No offense taken. But Isabel, if you're free that Saturday, maybe you'd like to enter that competition with me? I'd love to participate."

Danny growled quietly before Lucas stopped a moment, "I'm sorry. That was really forward of me. I didn't want to upset your boyfriend here and..."

"He's not my boyfriend," Izzy replied giving a disapproving frown toward Danny, "And Lucas? I'd be happy to enter the competition with you."

"You can't do that Iz! I mean... for goodness sake! You barely know this guy!"

Izzy crossed her arms, "Well, I do know he's not going to be acting like a little child having a fit."

Lucas turned to Danny giving a sympathetic look, "Come on now Danny. I think we just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you sit down, relax, and let me buy you a coffee?"

The Blue Ranger clenched his fists and furiously turned to head out the door, "No thanks. I'm feeling warm enough already."

* * *

Later that week, Joe and Nick sat in the cafeteria of their dormitory eating breakfast on Friday morning while reading the campus newspaper.

"Hey man, check this out," Joe said looking over an article, "Looks like another girl was found passed out around campus. This time she was in a library study room and had to be taken to the hospital to recover. Like the others, she doesn't remember what happened. You don't think..."

Nick stirred his scrambled eggs with a fork, "That it's a Cambion demon? Nah. My guess is that it's probably just another crazy who got too drunk at a party and wandered off."

The Red Ranger furrowed his brow and shrugged before Izzy came to join them at the table. She was looking exhausted but happy. As she sat, she looked dreamily to a new colorful charm she wore on her own silver bracelet.

"Uh... hey! Good morning! Earth to Izzy?" Nick prompted with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh... hi guys," she said with a yawn, "Sorry I didn't see you there. My mind was elsewhere."

The Red and Green Rangers exchanged a puzzled look as Nick continued, "We can see. Zoning out over your bracelet by the looks of it."

"Oh... this," Izzy replied showing the pink charm dangling from her bracelet, "Yeah. One of my other guy friends gave it to me recently and I was just admiring it."

"Other guy friends?" Nick asked curiously.

Izzy smiled dreamily, "Sure. His name is Lucas. Lucas Sarpente."

"Who is Lucas?" Joe frowned suspiciously, but Izzy seemed to ignore his tone. She went on to tell them how she met Lucas earlier in the week and they had really hit it off. He was handsome, and funny, and charming, and as it turned out, a great dancer too.

"After classes today, I was actually planning to go practice with him before the contest tomorrow night. He even got this pink charm to accent the dress I was planning to wear and I was thinking how great it would look. Don't you think it was really sweet of him to do that?"

"Um, don't you think things are moving a bit too fast?" Nick asked in concern, "I mean... you're already sounding a little smitten here."

"Relax you guys," Izzy reassured them with a wink, "Lucas and I are just friends... though between you and me... he's really hot."

Joe gave an uneasy grimace, "I don't know Iz. If you're going to a dance contest, I would have thought you'd have chosen Danny as a partner for the event. He's a great dancer... better than Nick and I combined."

"I would have if he didn't piss me off earlier this week," The Pink Ranger replied quickly, "The moment I introduced him to Lucas, he started getting all grouchy and jealous."

Izzy rose from the table and bean to leave, "I might as well head out to class. If I think about Danny's bad behavior any more, I'm just going to get mad all over again. See you guys!"

The two male Rangers waved goodbye and watched her leave before exchanging another skeptical look.

"Is it just me?" Joe sighed to his friend, "Or did we already have this conversation once before... only the other way around?"

"This does sound a little weird... even for Izzy," Nick agreed as he pulled out his phone, "I think it's time to give our old pal Danny a call and get to the bottom of this."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of campus, Danny was returning from an early morning swim at the pool. He had been feeling agitated and needed to blow off some steam from the thought of some smug new transfer student moving in on Izzy.

While Danny had expressed his interest early, he had also spent over a year building a solid foundation of genuine trust and friendship with her. In less than a week, she was already swooning over some other charming guy she barely knew. It just wasn't fair!

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard a shrill cry for help coming from a nearby park. Fingering his Keyrune, the Blue Ranger forgot about his own problems and took off running to respond if there was trouble.

Nearby in a campus park, Lucas raised a glowing hand as the terrified female student tried to call for help again. Before she could scream, the female underclassman collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. The pink charm bracelet on her wrist glowed brightly while draining her of her strength, causing her to fall unconscious.

"That was really stupid of you girl," the incubus snarled while taking on his true demon appearance. "Too bad you're not going to remember what happened now."

Just then, the incubus Lucavis turned around as he heard Danny rush around the corner of a hedgerow to investigate.

"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here demon?" the Blue Ranger growled pulling his Keyrune in a flash.

"What does it look like boy? I'm feeding on the gullible hearts of these stupid young women," Lucavis answered with a sneer.

Seeing the coast was clear, Danny quickly morphed and pulled his gladius, "We've dealt with your kind before. Now get lost before you end up the same way your fellow heart sucker Lilith did."

Lucavis roared in fury and charged the Blue Ranger, "How dare you talk about my mate that way!"

Danny gasped as the enraged demon took several swings at him and kept his guard up to deflect the blows. Lilith had been this thing's mate? The thought was both shocking and disgusting at the same time.

"I've heard of you Blue Ranger," the monster snarled, grappling with Danny, "You're indirectly responsible for my beloved Lilith's death. Once I take revenge on her killer, then I'll take the rest of my hate out on you."

Danny growled again as the demon grabbed hold of his sword arm and shoved him backwards to break the grapple. Using the momentum of the roll, Danny found his footing and pulled his Feather Stinger pistol, squeezing off a few shots as the demon dodged them and retreated into a dark cloud of smoke.

"I don't have time for you now Ranger," the incubus laughed as he disappeared, "I've got another hot date to catch."

Danny remained crouching on the snowy ground catching his breath from the sudden and unexpected battle. As he holstered his weapons, he hurried over to the unconscious victim on the ground and was relieved she still had a pulse. Upon rolling the young woman over, his eyes caught sight of the strange pink bracelet that had been glowing when he arrived.

The Blue Ranger powered down and tucked the bracelet away into his pocket before picking up his phone to call for help. The moment he did, his phone began to ring and he saw that it was Nick. Whatever the call was going to be about, Danny had a sinking feeling that it wasn't going to be good.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **The chapter title was taken from Corinthians 13:4-8**

 **Since several other writers around here are doing Romance themed stories, I thought I'd join in the spirit of things too (even though I'm personally not a fan of Valentine's Day at all)**

 **Before I forget, I also wanted to give a few special salutes to _Kuro no Okami_ for his help with the Red Seraph Battlizer in the prior chapter as well as _Stormasius_ for some plot inspiration in this episode. Thanks again guys! You rock!**


	62. Love Never Fails

**Episode 31: Part 2  
**

Later that day, the boys convened in the Mugshot café for an emergency meeting. Once there, Danny told them about his run in with the incubus and how another girl had been drained of her strength.

"This is bad news," Joe said with a pensive frown, "But it does connect those other female victims who were in the newspaper."

Danny nodded and reached into his pocket, pulling out the strange pink charm bracelet he found on the girl he saved, "You guys don't suppose this thing has anything to do with the demon attacks... do you? I found it on one of the victims."

The Green Ranger's eyes went wide and his stomach dropped, "Dan? Are you certain you found that at the scene of the attack?"

Danny frowned in confusion, "Yeah. What's the big deal?"

"That bracelet charm looked exactly like the one Izzy showed us this morning at breakfast."

Danny's heart stopped, "What? How? Where did she get one?"

The Green Ranger cleared his throat uncomfortably, "She said some new guy named Lucas gave it to her and it sounded like she had the hots for him too."

The Blue Ranger's mind raced, "Then that could mean... damn it! I knew there was a reason I didn't like that guy!"

Rising abruptly from the table, he moved for the door, "We have to find Izzy! She may be in danger. If Lucas really is that demon, then he's going to be out for revenge on her. Izzy was the one who killed his mate Lilith after all!"

Joe moved and caught his friend's arm, "Slow down Danny. You and Nick can start searching now. I'll get Claire and Kara and we'll join you as soon as we can. Just try not to jump the gun and do anything stupid, ok?"

Danny huffed and pushed on for the door, "I read you loud and clear boss, now let's go already!"

As he headed out the door and back into the winter air, Danny almost felt glad that they were up against a normal demon again. After being plagued for months by those terrifying Horsemen, this would be a welcome change of pace.

* * *

Later that day, Izzy walked home with Lucas from their most recent dance practice. As they chatted and shared a few laughs, they took a shortcut, passing though a small secluded park.

"You know Isabel, I just wanted to thank you again for all the help this week. You've been so nice to me."

"Oh... well, don't mention it," she replied sheepishly, "If anything, I should be the one thanking you for this nice charm I can put on my bracelet."

Lucas smirked slowly, "You like it? I'm glad... because I just wanted to see you smile again. You have a very pretty one, you know."

"Really?" the Pink Ranger swooned as they stopped a moment in the snowy park.

Lucas reached up and touched her cheek, "Yes... and if it's ok, I was hoping I could give you an even bigger reason to smile."

Izzy trembled and felt her mind cloud up as Lucas leaned forward to kiss her, but she pulled away at the last moment.

"I... I'm sorry. I can't do this," she said shaking her head slightly.

Lucas frowned, "What's wrong? Is it something I said... or did?"

The Pink Ranger put a hand to her head as if trying to think clearly, "No... I don't know... maybe?"

Lucas crossed his arms with a sigh, "It's that Danny guy... isn't it? You have feelings for him after all?"

Izzy took a deep breath before nodding slightly, "It's... complicated. I'm sorry Lucas."

"You should be, he replied calmly raising a hand as it began to glow, "You should have let me kiss you. It would have made your death painless."

The Pink Ranger's eyes went wide in shock as she tried to assume a fighting stance, "What? What are you talking about?"

Just then, she began to feel very faint and weak as the pink charm on her bracelet began to glow with an unearthly light. As she fell to the ground, she struggled to stay conscious as Lucas stepped forward and loomed over her with a sneer.

"You stupid girl. You let your feelings rob you of your common sense and make you let your guard down. Is your heart really that weak and fickle-minded? Are you really supposed to be the one who killed my love?"

"What?" Izzy gasped on the ground as her strength continued to be sucked away from the magic charm, "Who are you?"

Lucas laughed, "I'm the one who is going to get revenge on you for destroying someone who was important to me. Does the name of the succubus Lilith ring a bell?"

The Pink Ranger's eye grew wide in shock but another voice rang out, halting the incubus attack.  
"Get away from her!" the Blue Ranger roared as he rushed into the park and faced down the incubus alone.

Lucas glanced up in annoyance to see Danny before giving a sniff, "Really? You again? I'm getting tired of you interfering."

"The game is over Lucas! I know your secret," Danny called out as he calmly walked toward his enemy. You're the demon who's been victimizing those girls on campus and draining their life force with your little bracelets... aren't you?"

Lucas sneered and sarcastically began to clap his hands, "Congratulations Blue Ranger. So you figured it out."

Where she lay on the ground, Izzy gasped quietly and weakly removed her bracelet, suddenly realizing how foolish she had been.

"I'm not done yet," Danny interrupted, "You're the one who had been using your magic to play with Izzy's feelings… all in an attempt to get your final revenge for Lilith. You were going to lure her here and try to kill her… weren't you?"

Lucas laughed scornfully, "And the stupid girl walked right into it too. Frankly, I don't know how you even put up with her incessant chatter, her complete lack of common sense, and her fickle nature."

"It's because I love her," Danny said loudly while clenching his fists in resolve , "I love her in spite of those flaws! That's something a heartless monster like you could never understand!"

Izzy covered her mouth, both shocked and touched by Danny's passionate but sincere outburst.

"Oh my! Haven't we suddenly become bold?" Lucas exclaimed with a mocking smirk.

"Let me show you just how bold I'm feeling!" the Blue Ranger cried charging forward and throwing a punch at the incubus in human form.

Lucas froze in shock as Danny's fist smashed hard into his chin, sending him reeling. The incubus staggered sideways and tried to throw a counter punch, but the Blue Ranger easily dodged it and connected again with a left hook and fierce uppercut from the right.

Taken aback by the Blue Ranger's sudden ferocity, Lucas brought his other fist around in a haymaker. Using a move Kara had shown him earlier in the week, Danny stopped the blow and painfully twisted his enemy's arm, ultimately using that momentum to throw the incubus sideways to the ground.

Lucas panted as he slowly rose, feeling the pain of a dislocated shoulder as well as blood trickling from a split lip.

"I won't be embarrassed by a lowly human!" the demon shouted taking on his monstrous form and firing a barrage of energy bolts from his hand.

Danny pulled his Keyrune and instantly morphed, deflecting the bolts with his hastily summoned Whitesteel armor. As he reached to draw his gladius, Lucavis raised his other hand to fire off a second volley of energy bolts when a golden blaster shot rang out and struck him in the chest, staggering him.

Both Danny and the incubus whirled around to see Izzy sitting up nearby. She sat with her own Feather Stinger pistol leveled at the demon and gave a silent nod over toward Danny. Her eyes were already full of tears from a mix of anger and embarrassment at the demon, as well as gratitude for Danny's heroic actions.

That brief opening gave Danny his opportunity to rush forward and charge his gladius with blue energy, driving it straight into the chest of the murderous demon. As the Blue Ranger pulled his blade free, Lucavis clutched his gaping wound and collapsed backwards, exploding into a cloud of fiery brimstone.

The Blue Ranger lowered his weapon and turned around just in time to see the other Rangers arrive on the scene. As he looked up and glanced toward Izzy, he saw her lower her pistol and turn her head. Whether it was out of shame or to keep from crying, he couldn't be sure. Before he could move toward her, she rose to her feet and hurried away from the battlefield.

"Is everything ok here?" Joe asked in concern glancing over toward the smoking remains of the demon.

The Blue Ranger gave a half hearted nod before Claire put a comforting hand on his arm, "What about you? Are you ok?"

"I'll be fine. It's Izzy I'm more concerned about right now," he replied.

Nick glanced at the direction she had departed from and scratched his head, "Do you think one of us should maybe go talk to her?"

Danny shook his head, "No. This is between her and I, so I'll go... and I'm pretty sure I know where I'll be able to find her."

* * *

At the top of the Dark Spire, Lady Shemhazai made her way to Gideon's marble throne and gave a bow of humility toward the fallen Archangel. He sat regarding her coolly while her rival General Abaddon stood at attention near the foot of the throne like a personal guard dog.

"Shemhazai, I assume you know why you're here?" Gideon asked.

"Forgive me my Lord. I only just discovered the incubus Lucavis had gotten loose and was acting on his own. I take full responsibility for letting this happen."

"On the contrary," Gideon replied calmly, "The heartache he inflicted on the humans has worn away the last significant barrier of the Great Seal. Our armies will be free to attack at will now."

The Counselor looked up in surprise, "I… that's wonderful news my lord. Do we attack immediately?"

Gideon leaned back in his seat and smiled to himself, "No. Before I have General Abaddon lead the invasion's first wave, we will let the humans enjoy the last of their peace."

Giving a glance out the windows toward the churning storms of the Abyss, he said, "We've waited this long already. If it can ensure our victory, then we can wait just a little bit longer."

* * *

That Saturday night at the Union ballroom, Izzy left her post at the event stand to take a break. While the top group of dance pairs finished a spirited samba dance, the Pink Ranger found an empty seat off in the far corner of the room away from everyone else. At the moment, she didn't want to be around anyone else and she slumped in the seat with a dejected sigh.

Up to now, Izzy had been putting on a good face all night. She was wearing her best pink evening dress, had her hair done up, and wore a gracious smile throughout the evening. It didn't change the fact that she had made a complete fool of herself earlier in the week and hurt one of her friends too. Now she was all alone tonight and unable to even participate in the dance competition she had been looking forward to. For a day that was supposed to be about happiness and love, she was feeling miserable instead.

As the lights went low for an intermission, the music slowed down allowing for any and all attendees to step out for open slow dancing. As an older Meredith Edward's song "Ready to Fall" began to play, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up in surprise to see Danny standing at her side with a concerned expression. He was all cleaned up and dressed in a crisp navy blue suit. Around his collar, he wore a pink necktie.

"Danny? I... what are you doing here?" she asked in genuine surprise.

The Blue Ranger sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, "I... just thought I'd come to make sure you were ok. When you ran off earlier, you were really upset and I... well, seeing you that way made me really upset too."

Izzy's expression softened as Danny tried to put on a reassuring smile and offered his hand, "Besides, even if you aren't able to be in the contest now doesn't mean you should miss out on dancing completely, right?"

The Pink Ranger smiled and took his hand, letting him lead her out on the dance floor amid some blue and pink lights. Once there, Izzy pulled Danny close and rested her cheek against his shoulder while they danced. "Thank you for coming Danny... and I'm sorry... about everything."

"Forget it. You were under a charm spell, but it's not important now," he answered calmly as he kept his head level, "What matters is that you're ok. I care about you Iz... a lot, and I think it's time we both just stopped acting stupid, don't you think?"

Izzy smiled gently and shifted in Danny's arms while they danced, "So... no I-told-you-so's or rubbing my nose in all this?"

He shook his head softly, "I may be a smart-ass Iz, but I'm not the kind of guy who would ever hurt you on purpose like that."

At that, the Pink Ranger raised her head and graced him with a gentle smile, "I know that... and I love you for it too."

Danny returned the smile and leaned in slowly, pressing his lips to hers in a long tender kiss, which she eagerly returned. As they parted and took a breath, Izzy wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer while they continued dancing.

"Did you really mean what you said earlier today... about loving me... even in spite of my faults?"

"Every word," he grinned giving her forehead a soft kiss. As he felt her hug him again, he gave a small laugh, "You know Iz, if you keep holding on to me like this, I might start getting the wrong idea here."

"Just shut up and dance with me you idiot," the Pink Ranger smiled nestling her head into his chest.

For once, Danny Winthrope didn't argue or try to make a smart retort. All things considered, the idea of keeping his mouth shut and spending the night dancing with his new girlfriend suited him just fine.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **You know... I think those two crazy kids will be ok after all. Now that I got all that mushy lovey stuff out of my system, the final Invasion arc kicks off next so get ready. Also a quick shout out also goes to** ** _Ranger Red 2.0_** **for all the nice words and encouragement recently. I appreciate the support man, so thank you!**

 **I also wish you luck with that girl you mentioned because believe me, I've been there too brother. I know the feeling. Whether you're in a romantic relationship or not, I hope everyone remembers the true meaning of the holiday and takes a minute to tell a friend or family member that you love them today. Happy Valentine's Day everyone.**


	63. Apocalypse Now

**Episode 32: Part 1  
**

A few weeks had passed quietly and the cold gray skies of February began giving way to the thawing snows of March. That particular morning, Kara stood at her favorite spot on campus, the balcony of the university clock tower. Perched atop her vantage point, she wore an unusually serene look as she gazed out over the horizon and watched the warming sun slowly peek out from behind the clouds, lighting up the city of Hyperion Falls.

"Hey, I thought it was you I saw up here," came a familiar voice from behind. Kara turned around and saw Nick Adler approach from the clock-tower doors and join her with a grin, "I can see why you like this spot so much. It's a great view of the city."

The Gold Ranger nodded calmly, "Yes. I like coming here to clear my mind and think sometimes."

"Oh? Is something worrying you?"

Kara glanced over, scrutinizing Nick for a moment, "Are you really that curious?"

The Green Ranger gave a shrug, "Truthfully? I was kinda bored. Joe and Claire are still in class, and Danny and Izzy are out being all lovey-dovey. Thought I'd take a walk and saw you here."

Kara snorted in mild amusement before looking back to the skies, "I was just thinking about the future. Having defeated the Horsemen recently, I couldn't help but wonder if we were getting closer to defeating the Cambion demons for good. If we are, then how much longer?"

Nick fell silent and nodded, watching the skies beside her, "Well we've come this far and we'll keep fighting as long as it takes."

Kara frowned, "You and the others will not be here at the college forever though. Eventually you'll have to leave this school... to move on with your lives."

Nick glanced over and caught a hint of worry in the Gold Ranger's expression. After a moment, he gave a gentle reassuring smile, "That's true Kara. We all have our own lives to pursue, but that doesn't necessarily mean we're going to leave Hyperion Falls either. This is our home."

"I know that," Kara replied quietly, "It's just that... well, the five of you and Professor Bishop are the closest thing I've had to a real family... people who care about me and people I love in return. I just..."

"Don't want to lose that?" Nick offered putting a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry Kara. We're all Power Rangers. The way I see it, that already makes us part of a special kind of family and no distances or obstacles are going to change that."

Kara turned and graced him with a rare smile before her face hardened again. She pointed out toward the distant city and gasped, "What is that?"

The two Rangers stopped and stared as the light of the sun was blotted out again by a dark swirling mass of clouds that began to rotate and churn. To their horror, they witnessed a colossal pillar of shadows emerge from the swirling skies like a horrific funnel cloud and descend into the center of Hyperion Falls. As the dark pillar began to take shape, Nick and Kara could see it was a fortress spire of some ancient design. Upon materializing again, the silver miles of chains binding the structure together shattered, giving way to Gideon's demon stronghold. The Dark Spire had just made worldfall.

"Good Lord... what is that thing?" Nick gasped in horrified awe as several small forms began pouring out like army ants into the city.

Kara grabbed his wrist tightly, "This is it! The Great Seal must have been broken! Archangel Gideon is finally here!"

Looking back toward campus frantically, the Gold Ranger tightened her grip, "We have to warn the others and notify Bishop. There is no time left to lose!"

* * *

From the top of his Dark Spire fortress, Archangel Gideon stood at his window looking out over the city of Hyperion Falls. At last, he was truly free of the Abyss and able to return to Earth. The planeshift had been successful and he watched as hordes of his Cambion foot soldiers poured out of the Spire to overrun the city around him. As he took a deep genuine breath of the mountain air, he smiled calmly while terrified civilians screamed and fled the sudden demon onslaught in the streets.

It would only be a matter of time before those meddling Vanguard Rangers showed up to resist. For a moment, Gideon curled his lip in disgust at the thought of those arrogant human children claiming to be the true heirs to the Empyrian Angels' legacy. He had plans to deal with the Rangers and he glanced over to where his two generals prepared to enact the first phase of the Cambion invasion.

The demon warrior General Abaddon hefted his battle axe as several Magog subordinates finished strapping his body armor on to him. Abaddon could feel the call of battle and bloodlust throbbing in his temples. It had been too long and he yearned to charge out onto the field and take command of the invasion's first wave. No doubt the Cambion shock troops were already rounding up prisoners and subduing any human resistance.

As he turned to leave, he heard his name being called, "Wait a moment General! A word?"

The warrior growled impatiently as Lady Shemhazai stepped toward him with an unusually serious expression. "Make it quick witch. I have an army to lead."

The demon counselor bowed her head slightly, "Of course General. I wanted to give you something to assist you in battle should you face the Rangers again."

Abaddon looked in surprise as Shemhazai presented him with an amulet made of a blood red stone. Placing it around his collar brace armor, Shemhazai continued, "This charm can be used to increase your defense and negate damage Empyrian war magic can do to you."

"I don't understand. Why are you suddenly trying to help me now?"

Shemhazai grimaced, "You and I have our differences and our rivalry General. There is no question. But now that the real battle has begun, it's up to you and I to secure glory for Lord Gideon in whatever way we have to. Consider this warding pendant a temporary truce."

Abaddon scowled at the amulet for a moment before giving a snort and looking to the Counselor, "Very well. For now, I have a battle to conduct."

Shemhazai watched the demon general depart and waited until he was gone before a sinister smile curled upon her blackened lips.

* * *

Back on the campus, Hyperion University was in a complete frenzy as the Vanguard Rangers grouped together and found Professor Bishop in his lecture hall. While they entered and gathered around the History Professor's desk, they could hear the emergency siren from the city blaring, sounding more like the pitiful cries of a dying animal this time.

The Professor met them with a grim expression, "Everyone... I think this is it... the battle we've all been fearing."

The others exchanged quiet looks of dread before Joe cleared his throat and spoke, "What's happening in the city Professor?"

Bishop turned his laptop around and displayed a live newscast from downtown showing a news crew desperately trying to flee while filming a charging battalion of Magog soldiers. All around, chaos and destruction were erupting as plumes of smoke rose and screams of terror echoed in the air.

At the very center of it all loomed the colossal fortress spire that served as the stronghold of Archangel Gideon. Having finally phased into reality, the Spire now cast a shadow of dread and malice which only drove the monsters into greater lust for death and destruction. As they continued to watch dumbly, the Rangers saw the news camera get dropped and focus for a moment on the familiar form of General Abaddon before it was crushed underneath his armored boot.

Claire covered her mouth in silent shock as Bishop closed the laptop gravely, "From what Kara and Nick said, it looks like the Great Demon Seal has finally broken. If the demons' fortress remains in the city, the Cambion are going to set up a beach head for more large scale attacks... maybe on the rest of the world."

"We can't let them gain a foothold in our world," Danny said firmly showing an unusual degree of seriousness at the moment. "We've come too far to let it come to this."

Despite her fearful expression, Izzy stepped beside him and took his hand with a silent nod.

"We won't let it come to that," the Red Ranger said reassuringly as he turned to address all the Rangers at once. "The Archangels would not have entrusted us with their powers if they didn't think we were capable of defending the world. We have the tools and the will to win. Now is the time when we have to put everything we've learned to the test. The people of our city are counting on us to pull through and we can't let them down... especially now."

Despite their fears and uncertainties, the other Rangers smiled and gave determined nods, buoyed by the Red Ranger's inspiring words. In a way, they almost felt as if they were preparing for their first official battle as Rangers all over again. Despite only a year and a half passing, it all seemed so long ago now with how much they had grown, with how many battles and obstacles and challenges they had already overcome. They were seasoned Power Rangers now and it was time to show their enemies just how determined and confident they really were.

"First thing's first," Bishop said checking his news feed, "It looks like a large division of Cambion troops are advancing toward our college right now. Before we can even think of retaking the city, you six have to repel the attack on campus town first."

Joe nodded and moved to lead the others out the door, "All right Rangers. You heard Bishop. Let's turn back the assault and start shifting the tide of battle in our favor."

Giving an inspired cheer, the Rangers grabbed their Keyrunes and rushed out the door, preparing themselves for perhaps the most critical battles of their lives.

* * *

As the fires and destruction began to spread out from the city of Hyperion Falls, a large battalion of Magog soldiers marched down the road. In their numbers, they carried spears, hatchets, short swords and crossbows. While they were technically the weakest members of the Cambion forces, the Magogs were still frightful and imposing while massed in ranks.

The small wing of the invasion forces made their way unopposed for several miles until they reached the edge of Hyperion University's campus town. Once there, they halted for a moment as they spotted six young men and women standing in the middle of the wide empty crossroad, barring their way. As they stopped, the Magog captain gave a guttural cry and the rest of the battalion answered with a cheer, banging their weapons together in hopes it would intimidate their human enemies.

Instead, the six Rangers stood with calm defiance until Nick glanced over to Joe, "I don't see any white flags from them…do you?"

The Red Ranger smiled and drew his Keyrune slowly, "Too bad for them, isn't it? Rangers… all together now."

 _"Vanguard Ascend!"_ the six cried together in unison as they morphed in one swift motion. Before any of the Magogs could react, they were momentarily blinded by a radiant glow that seemed to spread over the battlefield as the city's defenders emerged. As he stepped forward, the Red Ranger led their roll call:

 _"The Radiant Torch, Vanguard Red!"_

 _"The Swirling Tempest, Vanguard Blue!"_

 _"The Rumbling Mountain, Vanguard Green!"_

 _"The Stinging Blizzard, Vanguard White!"_

 _"The Dancing Whirlwind, Vanguard Pink!"_

 _"The Surging Thunderbolt, Vanguard Gold!"_

 _"The Light of the Past, and the Hope of the Future! Power Rangers!_ " they chorused as the light intensified and the skies around them momentarily cleared.

Clenching her fist and raising it toward their enemies, Kara called out, _"The wrath of the heavens will strike you down!"_

Joe drew his gladius and pointed it forward, invoking the Rangers' battlecry, _"Vanguard, take flight!"_

In a heartbeat, all six Rangers burst into the air with their summoned wings and split off to attack from different directions. The front rank of demon foot soldiers froze in shock as the Rangers plowed into them from the skies as if it were absorbing an aerial cavalry charge. Having been put into a scramble, the next ranks of demons stepped forward to desperately reinforce their comrades who had just been mowed down.

The Red Ranger led the push, skillfully striking down foot soldiers left and right with his saber sword. As another crowd of Magogs tried to swarm him and push back, Joe ignited his blade and executed a whirling sword blow which threw them all back in a searing cloud of angelic fire, incinerating dozens of the foot soldiers at once.

Before he could raise his blade again, a bright flash of lightning swept over the battlefield and a blinding bolt carved through the demon ranks in a zig-zagging pattern. Every Magog the thunderbolt passed was either vaporized or slashed with bladed weapons. As soon as the light cleared, Kara emerged from the bolt and slashed anther group of soldiers to the ground with her twin scimitars.

Meanwhile, a handful of mangled Magogs flew overhead amid a loud ringing sound. The burly Green Ranger was busy swinging his heavy warhammer around in wide sweeping arcs as if he were using a baseball bat instead. Every time his hammer struck, handfuls of broken demons were tossed aside from the sheer force of the bone breaking impacts.

Along the other flank of the battle line, handfuls of Magogs were also tossed through the air as Izzy wove through her opponents, striking some aside with her rapier, or blowing them away with powerful gusts of wind. Having opened up a hole in the line, the Pink Ranger began to dance, using whirling spinning steps that created a powerful vortex of air that sucked in several more foot soldiers. She took another winged leap while in the eye of the tornado, and destroyed them with a flurry of sword thrusts.

The moment she landed, a hail of icy bolts rained down from the skies above as Claire swooped in, strafing the demon ranks. While the surprised Magogs were thrown in disarray, the White Ranger landed among them and waved her Keyrune, sweeping them all away with a burst of icy spikes that spread and blossomed out from where she stood.

Despite her powerful attack, she found her position threatened as another company of demons moved in to attack. To her relief, a great wave of elemental water swept over the battlefield and crushed the Magogs, carrying the majority of the reinforcements away. Amid the tumult, Danny rode the wave and landed next to Claire with a thumbs up while the surging wave of water parted around them harmlessly.

Having wiped out the first wave of foot soldiers, the Vanguard Rangers regrouped as another fresh battalion of Magog soldiers arrived to take the place of their fallen comrades.

"Geez, there's no end to these guys!" the Blue Ranger growled in frustration while drawing his spear, "It's going to take us all day to cut through them."

"Maybe not," Joe said stepping forward and transfiguring his Keyrune into Auriel's Trumpet, "Everyone stand back!"

The Rangers backed off together as the Red Ranger blew the trumpet and emerged in the majestic Red Seraphim battle armor. Across the battlefield, the Magogs froze in terror and shielded their eyes from the sight of the brilliant warrior angel. While they did, Joe drew his longsword, "Ok, time for some divine retribution."

The Seraphim spread his six wings and surged forward tearing through the heart of the foot soldiers' ranks while leaving devastating trails of fire and sunlight behind him. The Rangers watched in awe as Joe burst back into the skies and took one great swooping attack back down on the enemy. In an instant, the entire advance guard of the Magog forces were instantly vaporized in a wave of radiant fire from the Seraphim's sword.

After witnessing the terrifying power of the Seraphim's fiery wrath, the survivors of the shattered Magog forces recoiled in horror. Having briefly glimpsed the visage of the ancient Empyrian commander Auriel filled their hearts with fear and the Magogs fell back into temporary retreat.

As the fire tempest began to die down, Joe descended gently to the ground, letting his Red Seraphim Armor dispel while the other Rangers cheered and gathered around him.

"All right! Way to waste those demons!" Nick exclaimed clapping the Red Ranger's shoulder with enthusiasm.

"Thanks, but we're far from done here," Joe panted as he took several deep breaths and tried to steady himself. Kara had indeed been right about the limits of using Auriel's Seraphim powers. Despite being a Power Ranger, Joe was still only human and using the Seraphim Armor for extended periods of time was very taxing on his own strength.

As he recovered his balance, he and the other Rangers looked out across the battlefield, only to see a single figure emerge from the smoke. With slow deliberate steps, General Abaddon, the Field Marshal of the Cambion Legion approached. Unlike his cowardly Magog minions who had fallen back in retreat, the demon general advanced with single minded purpose... to get his revenge on the Vanguard Rangers and eliminate them for good.

"Is that... who I think it is?" Nick asked in growing dread.

Beside him, the Gold Ranger tightened her grip on her two swords and nodded with a growl, "Abaddon."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **And so starts the beginning of the End. We've still got several more episodes full of action and drama left to go so don't worry just yet everyone.**

 **To answer a Guest reviewer question, Vanguard and Oceania are actually set in the same universe. PR Oceania is supposed to take place several years after Vanguard so you can bet there's gonna be a tie-in and some guest appearances from this series. Remember the sea monster Leviathan? Don't think I haven't forgotten about him either. ;)**


	64. Power Play

**Episode 32: Part 2  
**

A thin haze hung over the battlefield as General Abaddon leveled his axe in a challenge. "The six of you have stood in the way of Lord Gideon long enough! It ends today and I will deal with you Rangers for good!"

"That's strange General. The last time we faced you, I remember you running away scared with your tail between your legs," Nick shouted back, tightening his grip on his own weapon.

Abaddon smirked and lightly ran a hand over the amulet Shemhazai had given him, "Not today Rangers. Today we fight to the very end. No more holding back."

"If that's the case, we won't hold back either," Joe called raising his Keyrune and prompting the others to follow suit. In an instant, the first five Vanguard Rangers traced the sigils of the Archangels and summoned their golden armor to combat the demon commander.

"Rangers, split up and take it to him!" the Red Ranger barked as he leveled his saber.

Kara was the first to react and channeled her power of thunder. In the blink of an eye, the Gold Ranger surged forward and struck the General head-on with a powerful dual thrust from her scimitars. To her shock, a glowing energy field radiated from the amulet on Abaddon's breastplate and completely deflected her attack. Kara gasped and did a spinning tumble sideways, trying to slow her momentum and regain her balance.

Before she could shout a warning, Nick and Izzy followed up in a combined attack to try and force back the Cambion General. Both Rangers took flying leaps and brought their weapons to bear while Abaddon swung his axe in a counterblow. Nick was the first to strike and stopped the battleaxe with his own hammer, locking weapons in a powerful collision. As Nick grunted and tried pushing back against the General, the Pink Ranger did a flying pirouette around him and launched a blinding flurry of charged rapier thrusts.

Again, Abaddon's force field amulet activated and absorbed each of the strikes. Izzy's eyes went wide in shock before Abaddon gave an annoyed sniff and sent her sprawling with a dismissive backhand. Seeing Abaddon's greater display of power, the Green Ranger let up on his pushing for a moment but it gave the General his opportunity to break through his guard. He turned Nick's hammer aside and dropped his own shoulder, knocking him backwards with a powerful shoulder-check.

As the Green Ranger rolled off on the ground, Abaddon was struck by a volley of icy arrows from the White Ranger. While the damage of the attacks was deflected by his shielding charm, the demon was still pushed back momentarily by the force of the shots. Joe, Danny, and Kara regrouped and used that moment to attack together in a coordinated storm of blows from their melee weapons. Abaddon only laughed harder as the three Rangers darted and maneuvered around him, landing blows that harmlessly bounced off his warded armor.

Even as they attacked together in unison, Claire continued to circle strafe with her bow, trying to break through Abaddon's force field with her supporting fire. The demon General gave another growl before swinging his battleaxe in a circular motion, sweeping the Red, Blue, and Gold Rangers back and knocking them down. As Claire stopped to watch in shock, Abaddon turned on her, and blasted her off her feet with a projectile fire burst of his own.

While Claire tumbled toward the other Rangers, the demon general brought his battle axe around and hammered the earth causing a great shockwave of dark energy to erupt from the ground in a wave. The shockwave slammed into the Vanguard Rangers and sent them crashing to the ground in a heap.

"Damn! How did he get so tough?" Nick groaned, trying to shake off the blow while getting back to his knees.

Danny nodded, "Nick is right. For some reason we can't seem to break through his defenses."

"It must be demon magic," Kara grunted using one of her swords to try and pull herself up, "Abaddon must have some sort of talisman that's creating a force field."

Abaddon strode forward with a confident smirk and loomed over the Rangers, lifting his battle axe menacingly, "You Rangers humiliated me once before… but now, I will have my final revenge."

From where he lay on the ground, Joe gripped his saber tightly and forced himself to rise to a kneeling stance. As he charged his blade for a desperate last ditch attack, he saw Abaddon suddenly freeze and stagger in place. Abaddon's pendant began to glow with a strange light as Joe moved to protect his friends.

The Red Ranger brought his charged saber around in a Radiant Smite, slashing Abaddon across the midsection, shredding into the demon's breastplate. The wounded General staggered sideways and gave a shocked grunt as he dropped his axe to the ground.

The other Rangers watched in equal shock as Abaddon struggled to move, but suddenly found himself paralyzed by a magic binding spell. The frozen General looked down to see the protective pendant on his chest was now glowing with a sinister light. It was then that everyone on the battlefield heard the malevolent laugh of Lady Shemhazai emanating from the charm.

"Shemhazai! What is the meaning of this?" Abaddon roared in fury, "Answer me you treacherous witch!"

The Vanguard Rangers remained silent and listened, letting the feuding demons have at each other. They heard Shemhazai speak again with a mocking tone, "Such a proud fool you are General… to think that you could best the Rangers with your own strength alone?"

"I was winning the fight!" he snarled trying again to regain the use of his body.

"You would have perished in the opening moments," the Cambion Counselor rebuked him, "You relied so much on my amulet that you rushed in, letting your guard down. The Legion ill needs a leader who is so wasteful and reckless."

"You gave me the amulet to protect me for mortal blows," Abaddon growled, attempting to wiggle his shoulders free of the binding magic.

"And it did," Shemhazai answered, "But do you really think it was to guard your life? No. It was to lure you to your destruction. The amulet you wear is a trap to bind you in place so you can be destroyed."

The Rangers exchanged puzzled glances amongst each other while Abaddaon's eyes grew wide, "What are you talking about? You would betray me here and now?"

Shemhazai laughed, "You've been a disgrace to the Legion and a thorn in my side for too long General. I'm doing this to cull weakness from Lord Gideon's ranks. For this one time we share a common enemy Vanguard Rangers. Strike now."

"Shemhazai! You accursed traitor! You cowardly dog! How could you?" the demon general raged while the Vanguard Rangers recovered and rose to their feet.

"I don't know what's going on, but let's not pass up an opportunity when we have one," Joe said prompting the other Rangers to prepare for a finishing blow on their now vulnerable enemy.

The demon general's eyes grew wide as he watched the Vanguard Rangers quickly assemble their Radiant Arbalest and level it toward his heart. A bright light flared from Kara's hand as she locked her two blades together and transfigured it into a crackling bolt of energy to load into Rangers' weapon.

As she did, the Red Ranger aimed it while the others braced to fire. "Everyone, we need to make this shot really count. Focus all your power into it."

The light of the loaded bolt intensified as the five Rangers dispelled the power of their golden Archangel armor and used it to empower their weapon further. The paralyzed Abaddon could only roar in defiance as he saw the six Rangers steady the Arbalest again and take aim.

"Fire!"

A brilliant white hot light burst from the Arbalest and split the air light like a holy thunderbolt. As the Rangers stumbled from the tremendous recoil of the shot, the searing bolt of super powered energy struck Abaddon in a blinding explosion. Amid the fire, sparks, and shredded armor, the bolt tore clean through him, blowing a large gaping hole through the Cambion general.

"No!" Abaddon cried in a horrible raspy gurgle looking down at the ruined flaming hole punched through his cuirass, "This... can't be... I won't fall..."

The Cambion Commander fell to his knees and collapsed face-first into the ground, exploding in a violent fireball of dark energy.

Despite their fatigue, the other Vanguard Rangers gave an ecstatic cheer and lowered their Arbalest. Danny was the first one to pump a victorious fist in the air. "Damn! That was totally amazing!

Nick gave a relieved laugh and threw an arm around Kara bumping the side of his helmet with hers, "Nice shot Kara. We couldn't have done that without you!"

The Gold Ranger simply nodded and smiled behind her helmet before Izzy looked out over the fiery remains of Abaddon, "Everyone... I can't believe we just took down one of Gideon's top commanders just now."

No sooner had she said that when dark swirling wisps of energy returned to a chunk of the General's remains and absorbed into a now glowing sigil.

"Damn! We spoke too soon. Abaddon must have been branded with a Cambion sigil!" Joe growled as the General's remains began to grow in size until it took the shape of a colossal demon warrior.

Giving a laugh, the revived General spoke out loudly into the air, "It seems I have the last laugh Lady Shemhazai. For all your planning, you never thought that I would have myself branded with a sigil, did you? I knew that if I were to fall by your treacherous hand, than I would still return and take my revenge on you."

"Maybe we should just sit this next one out and let those two commanders have it out," the White Ranger muttered to her friends, "To think... the demons are having drama too?"

As an afterthought, the giant Abaddon turned toward the Rangers on the ground and gave a roar, "But first... I have a score to settle with you damned angels."

While the Vanguard Rangers regrouped, Joe pulled his Keyrune out and began configuring the sigil combinations on it, "Ok everyone... I know it's been a while, but I think it's time we call the zords again and saddle up."

* * *

All six Rangers grabbed their Keyrunes and turned the sigil dials to the correct combinations, summoning their zords. Abaddon simply stood by with an amused expression as he watched six celestial titans descend from the skies. With a shrill cry, the Red Griffin zord reared up and spread its wings as the other zords swiftly maneuvered into formation before fusing together. As the Vanguard Megazord stood ready, Kara's own Pegasus zord descended and took a ready stance beside it.

From the cockpit of the Megazord, Danny tapped the console with a grim smile, "Well… it's been a while. I almost forgot we had this thing."

"Stay focused everyone," Joe reminded him, "We got a lucky break taking Abaddon down the first time. I don't think he's going to be pulling any punches now."

"This is it!" Kara called spurring her Pegasus forward, "Here we go!"

Abaddon hefted his battle axe and roared in maniacal laughter as the Pegasus charged forward, ramming into him and driving him back several steps.

"What a worthless gesture," Abaddon snarled as he grappled the titanic horse by the neck and pitched it sideways with a grunt. While the earth rumbled from the Pegasus getting tossed, the Vanguard Megazord moved forward and brought its great fists around, hammering the colossal demon with several punches.

Despite the earth shattering blows, Abaddon shrugged them off and blocked the next strike with his axe.

"I did not become the greatest warrior of the Cambion army for nothing Rangers," he laughed, outmaneuvering the Megazord and landing several counter strikes with his axe. The Rangers grunted and held on for dear life as the Megazord rattled and shook from the punishing strikes. Giving a furious shout, Abaddon brought his axe around and knocked the Megazord to the ground face-first with a colossal blow.

Taking a moment to recover his footing and catch his breath, the giant demon general laughed, "You fought well Rangers… but not even you are going to stop me from destroying this city or getting my revenge of Lady Shemhazai."

From the ground, the Rangers scrambled in their cockpit to keep the Megazord's power and system from failing. Izzy took several deep breaths and turned to the others, "Ok… what are we going to do now?"

"We're going to have to get that weapon out of Abaddon's hands," Claire answered, "Only then will we get a shot."

Joe nodded, "She's right. Nick, get ready to pivot the legs. Claire, I need you to buy Danny a minute to snare that axe. Got it?"

"You can count on me," the Blue Ranger said with a nervous thumbs up.

Above them, Abaddon Raised his axe for a finishing blow, "It's over Rangers!"

To his surprise, the Vanguard Megazord rolled on its side and aimed its White Wolf arm upward, blowing an icy cloud of energy into the demon's face. Abaddon roared and shielded his eyes for a moment as the Megazord's other blue manta ray arm reconfigured and lashed out the manta's tail like a whip, snaring the axe.

"What? What is this?" the demon general shouted in outrage. By now, Kara's Pegasus zord had recovered to its feet and launched a ball of superheated lightning at its foe.

General Abaddon screamed as he was blasted sideways and toppled to the ground while the battered Vanguard Megazord returned to its feet. As the Megazord picked up Abaddon's fallen axe, it turned to the Pegasus and the Red Ranger gave a nod, "Ok Kara. I think it's time we bring it together and finish this clown."

"I couldn't agree more," the Gold Ranger answered bringing her zord forward to fuse with the others.

By the time Abaddon recovered his senses and rose to his feet, we has confronted by the winged Vanguard Megazord mounted on the Pegasus resembling an old Hussar Cavalry warrior. He clenched his empty fists and ground his teeth in fury, "Come on Rangers! I'll tear you apart with my bare hands if I have to!"

From their united cockpit, the six Vanguard Rangers turned their controls forward and charged down on the demon general. To Abaddon's surprise, the Megazord wielded his own axe against him and raised it at the last moment to strike not at his armored torso, but at his neckbrace where Shemhazai's pendant was attached.

In a thundering blow, the Megazord's passing axe blow shattered the pendant and cleft deeply into Abaddon's neck guard. As the mounted Megazord circled back around, it saw Abaddon lurch to one side before falling to his knees, sputtering and gurgling in fury while the axe remained lodged in his collar.

Giving one last futile curse, the giant demon general collapsed to the ground and exploded in a great cloud of fire and brimstone. Amid the fires, the Vanguard Rangers gave a sigh of relief, still trying to process the fact that they had just killed the Field Marshal of the Cambion armies.

In the distance, they could see the several battalions of Magog soldiers fall back and withdraw into the city limits. Having just witnessed the death of their high general just now, the Cambion armies decided on a temporary stalemate. Their advance had been checked, but they still controlled the city proper of Hyperion Falls. Looming over the city, Gideon's Dark Spire continued to cast its threatening shadow, as if goading the Rangers to keep fighting.

"The demons are falling back for now," Kara noted, "We've stopped their advance."

Nick pounded his fist, "We should press forward while we've got momentum! Maybe go for the Spire and end it all now."

"No," Joe said shaking his head, "Look around you Nick. The Megazord took a bad beating and we've burned through a lot of power today. We need to fall back for now and recover too."

The Blue Ranger put a hand on Nick's shoulder, "He's right. We were already taken by surprise and we barely stopped this first wave today. We'll come up with a new strategy to take back the city while the demons lick their wounds right now."

The hot blooded Green Ranger hated to admit it, but his friends were right. As they continued to watch the Cambion armies fall back and dig in around the city, they could only hope that the terrified people of their city would be able to hold out hope for a rescue.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **To answer a Guest reader's questions:  
-Yes to an eventual Vanguard-Oceania team up.**  
 **-Both Ranger teams battling Leviathan together? Quite likely, but I haven't completely thought the details out just yet.**


	65. Malleus Maleficarum

**Episode 33: Part 1  
**

Despite the thick dark clouds that hung over the city of Hyperion Falls, Archangel Gideon stood at his throne room window, watching as occasional columns of sunlight streamed through. To the captive people of the city, those glimpses of light likely appeared to be like small prayers being answered for them… faint hope that the heavens above hadn't completely abandoned them to their dark fate.

The first phase of the invasion had been mostly successful and the Cambion forces had established a foothold on earth. He had also witnessed the demise of General Abaddon and watched as the demon advance was checked by the Vanguard Rangers. He had to admit, they fought well and had gained impressive mastery of their powers since the last time he confronted them. But now, he had a plot with which to rid himself of his angelic enemies and restructure his ranks.

His thoughts were interrupted as Lady Shemhazai entered the throne and bowed reverently, "My Lord… how may I serve you?"

Gideon turned and stepped away from the windows with a calm smile, "Lady Shemhazai… I called you here to ask how you were coping with things."

"Lord Gideon?"

The Archangel waved a dismissive hand, "I was referring to the death of General Abaddon in battle. I know you two did not often see eye to eye, but he was still your comrade and fellow demon, no?"

Shemhazai raised her head and spoke carefully, "If I may be completely honest Lord Gideon, I am relieved. General Abaddon may have been a great warrior in his own right, but he was a liability to your armies and to this campaign. With him gone, I believe we can better coordinate our forces… just you and I."

Gideon smiled slowly, "You've always been an opportunist Shemhazai… it's a trait I can admire. However, I have a very important matter to take care of and I need to be certain of your loyalty right now."

"Lord Gideon, you know I am devoted to you. I would give my life for you if need be."

The Archangel smiled again before giving a soft chuckle, "I hope it would not come to that Shemhazai. I'm preparing a new strategy to deploy our forces for the next push. I am going to the frontline to personally reposition some of our troops around the city."

The Cambion Counselor gave a confused tilt of her head, "And what would you have me do?"

"I will need you to guard this tower," Gideon answered, "Should the Rangers even be foolish enough to attack, you must hold this throne room at all costs. If so, you have my word that I will return as quickly as possible to help you destroy them."

Shemhazai frowned in slight confusion before bowing her head again, "Yes… of course Lord Gideon. You can rely on me."

"Good," the Archangel said with a devilish grin turning toward the doors, "Until I tell you otherwise, I leave my throne in your capable hands."

* * *

Back on the campus of Hyperion University, The Vanguard Rangers assembled in the office of Professor Bishop. While the Rookery Building had always been an old stone tower at the edge of campus, under the circumstances, it now resembled a small bastion of defense against the encroaching demon hordes.

It had been a day or so since the Rangers had halted the Cambion Legion's first assault, but it wasn't certain for long the uneasy stalemate would last. After having taken some time to rest and recover from the clash with General Abaddon, the Rangers pored over a map of the city trying to figure out a way to launch a counterattack against the demons.

"I still don't like the idea of launching an attack," Claire frowned examining their makeshift battle-map, "If we do, we risk getting cut off behind the enemy's lines."

She pointed to the location of the tower relative to their own marker, "Even more, what if the demons decide to attack the outer city? We have no way to stop them then."

"I don't disagree Claire," Kara admitted, "But we cannot sit back and play defense indefinitely. If there's a way to be proactive rather than reactive, then I am in favor of it."

Bishop frowned and repositioned some of the markers they were using to represent the Cambion forces, "If the newest news reports are true, then it looks like the demons have been shifting their lines. It almost looks like they're massing their forces to make an attack on the western city suburbs, completely opposite from where we are."

Danny scratched his chin thoughtfully, "If that's the case, it may mean that Gideon is drawing his own garrison forces away to bulk up those positions. He's reducing the defenses of his own fortress."

"Or it could mean he's luring us into a trap, like the Battle of Cannae" Joe added with a serious expression.

The Pink Ranger gave a questioning look, "Cannae?"

The Red Ranger frowned and looked at the map, "It was at the time of the ancient Roman Republic. During the second Punic War, General Hannibal of Carthage lured a Roman army into a tough position. The Romans actually thought they were winning the battle and advanced, until they realized they were completely encircled."

"What happened?" Kara asked curiously.

Joe exchanged a silent look with Bishop before glancing to her, "The Roman force was completely slaughtered."

The Rangers fell silent for a moment, absorbing the morbid history lesson until Izzy spoke, putting a hand on his arm, "Relating tactics from another historic battle. You really must be descended from Commander Auriel."

After another long pause, Claire sighed, "I hate to admit it, but Kara might be right about this. It's not like we have a lot of other choices right now. One way or another, we're going to have to fight our way into the city. If we're going to liberate it, then taking down that Dark Spire has to happen."

Danny stepped up beside the White Ranger, "Gideon may be luring us in, but what if he's not? If he really is offering us a gap in his defenses, then we can't afford not to attack either. It's risky, but we have to try."

The Red Ranger took a deep breath and gave a pensive frown, "Do the rest of you feel this way too?"

Looking around the room, he saw the other Rangers nod their heads, albeit reluctantly.

"All right," he said, "If that's the case, then let's go and cut the head off the snake."

* * *

The next morning, the six Vanguard Rangers morphed and headed out to the perimeter of the occupied city. By now, the Cambion Legion had begun setting up defensive measures against outsider interference. At the city limits, a thick wall of gently swirling black smoke had been raised to obscure the vision and senses of human intruders.

Fortunately for the Rangers, their suits and Empyrian war magic warded them from the effects, allowing them to easily pass through the first screen.

Upon slipping through and dodging a patrol of Magogs, the Rangers hurried to take cover within an abandoned parking garage. As they moved into the garage, they could see the roads around them had been torn apart and the smell of smoldering fires still burned from several nearby buildings. In all, sections of Hyperion Falls looked like they had been turned into some kind of bombed out warzone. To their relief, they hadn't seen any dead bodies of innocent civilians in the streets. The Rangers could only guess and hope that those people had been taken as prisoners… at least for now.

From the windows of the dingy garage, they could see the skies within the city limits were dark, but the outline of Gideon's Spire was still clearly visible in the near distance. "All right, what now?" Izzy hissed quietly looking to her friends.

Kara pointed to the Spire, "Gideon's fortress is still our objective. We avoid the demon patrols and infiltrate the spire."

"Easier said than done," the Blue Ranger muttered quietly causing both Nick and Claire to nod in silent agreement.

Joe glanced out the window but kept his head down before turning to the others. "We'll move quickly and stay out of sight. We limit our flight to get close to the spire. Do not engage in a fight unless there's no other way because we can't afford to get spotted. Everyone got that?"

The Rangers nodded again before quickly following him back out into the streets to make their way through the flaming ruins of the city toward their final destination.

Upon reaching the base of the Dark Spire, the six Rangers huddled together in the shadowy corner of the tower's outcropping while another patrol went by. Just like Bishop had said, the Cambion forces seemed to have been directing more of its forces away from the center spire to strengthen their frontline for another assault.

Giving an all clear sign, Claire gestured the others toward a large stain glassed window above them on the wall of the tower. One by one, the Rangers took a wing assisted leap upward and entered through a hole in the glass that Joe melted with his Keyrune's power.

Once inside, the Rangers slipped into the shadows and found the fortress tower largely unguarded. Despite being the stronghold of the demonic Cambion forces, the actual architecture of the tower was beautiful and ornate, though in a twisted sinister way. The intricate masonry and vaulted arches resembled the classical soaring look of Gothic cathedrals while stonework accents suggested an almost Baroque influence. While the Rangers made their way deeper into the spire and ascended some wide central stairwells, they could only wonder if the beautiful Empyrian architecture was what helped inspire the art of later human history.

After hurrying down a dark decorative hallway with mirrors and malevolent statues, the Vanguard Rangers reached a central junction point with a tall spiral staircase leading up toward the very top of the tower. Taking a long glance upward, Nick turned to the others and quipped nervously, "No elevator or handicap accessibility? Where is a building inspector when you need one?"

The Pink Ranger took a few deep breaths to calm her own nerves, "Forget the elevator. We've got a better way. Everyone? Going up?"

All together, the six Vanguard Rangers called their wings and took off, using the momentum of their jump to fly to the very top of the stairwell.

Upon reaching the landing, the six Vanguard Rangers hurried up the remainder of the dark winding staircase made of stone until they reached the ornate entrance hall leading to the throne room. As they approached, they were confronted by two large demon guards in thick brass armor with crossed halberds. While the Rangers charged their Keyrunes with their elemental powers, the throne room guards moved to block the door and took ready stances against the human intruders.

Moments later, the doors of the throne were blasted open and the two guards were violently thrown aside. As the demons' weapons skidded away and the sound of their clattering armor echoed through the ornate room, the Rangers advanced forward slowly, gripping their short swords and pistols. The room was dimly lit, but the six could make out the light reflected off the gold filigree hewn into the tall marble pillars lining the room. They continued up the blood red carpet until they reached the foot of the throne and jumped as the torch lights intensified, lighting the room up and revealing the malevolent smile of Lady Shemhazai sitting upon the throne.

The pale demoness in long robes gazed upon them from the raised dais looking like a coiled viper ready to strike. While her eyes were obscured by the ornate headpiece she wore, the Rangers were sure she was sizing each of them up and looking for signs of fear and weakness.

"Congratulations Rangers. I commend you for making it this far," the Cambion Counselor laughed shifting her posture in the seat, "I believe I also owe you a debt of gratitude for disposing of my hated rival General Abaddon."

"Lady Shemhazai, I presume?" the Red Ranger asked keeping a tense grip on his gladius.

The Counselor nodded and smiled, "Indeed. I've been dying to meet the children who have been foolish enough to think they could even stand against my lord."

"Where is Gideon?" Kara demanded stepping forward and leveling her gladius.

Shemhazai haughtily turned up her nose and gave a derisive sniff, "He didn't think you were worth dealing with for now. I'm afraid I'll have to entertain you until he returns."

"You would actually fight us?" Nick mocked her, "Abaddon had us under the impression you were a coward and a weakling."

"Such insolence," Shemhazai snapped in anger rising to her feet. In a flash, she summoned a long thin blade that resembled a rapier-like weapon, but with segmented parts. She gave the hilt of the weapon a sharp snap with her wrist and the sword extended into a bladed whip, cracking on the ground and gouging out a large chunk of stone from the marble floors.

The Rangers froze in surprise as they watched the demoness curl her lips into a sadistic smile and reveal a long forked tongue that resembled a snake, "General Abaddon did not understand the value of instilling confusion and terror in his enemies. I will show the six of you true terror and make sure you suffer slowly before I kill you."

With that, the Cambion Counselor extended her arms and began to levitate before her shocked foes. As she raised her blade, and extended it toward the Rangers, she quickly swooped down upon them giving a hideous shrieking laugh that echoed through the entirety of the dark throne room.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **The title Malleus Maleficarum translates in Latin to "The Hammer of Witches."**

 **It refers to a treatise written in 1486 instructing others in how to identify, interrogate, and convict witches. To this day, it's still debatable whether or not the writing was sanctioned by Church Inquisitors during the Middle Ages. As Lady Shemhazai is an evil treacherous demon witch who uses dark sorcery, I thought the title was fitting. Please excuse my little Professor Bishop moment, and thanks for reading!**


	66. Inferno

**Vanguard 33: Part 2  
**

The Rangers tumbled out of the way as the Cambion witch swooped from above trying to skewer them with her blade. She continued to laugh as she made another swooping pass prompting Claire, Danny, and Nick to roll clear and draw their Feather Stinger pistols.

"I've had enough of you!" Danny growled leading the others in leveling their guns, "Fire!"

The three Rangers opened fire, but found their shots deflected away by sweeping motions of Shemhazai's bladed whip.

"You'll have to do better than that Ranger," she mocked, lashing out again with the whip causing the three to dive away again. As they got clear, the Red, Pink, and Gold Rangers took flying leaps with their swords for a follow up attack.

Shemhazai laughed again in glee as the three Rangers struck and her form split into three more copies of the witch. The three Rangers froze in surprise and barely raised their guards in time to fight off the three Shemhazai clones that circled about in midair, still cackling maniacally. As the three Cambion clones along with the real witch swooped together to attack, the six Rangers barely dodged them and regrouped together at the center of the throne room, standing back to back in a small ring.

"Foolish Rangers, you actually think relying on each other's senses will save you?" Shemhazai called swooping around them and creating a circle of rotating mirrors.

The six Rangers looked about in confusion as the moving image of Shemhazai was reflected among the mirrors, disorienting them. In an instant, her whip lashed out, appearing to come from all sides. One by one the confused Rangers were struck and knocked to the ground as the mirrors dispelled and left the witch standing before them.

"Have you had enough yet?" she smirked as the Rangers slowly rose to their feet, "Because I've just begun."

Giving another crack of the whip sword, she broke it apart into several individual glowing blade shards that whirled around her for a moment before flying at the Vanguard Rangers from every direction. Again, they were overwhelmed and struck on all sides by the rapid unpredictable shards until the pieces raced back to the witch and reformed her blade.

As Shemhazai strode forward, she titled her head as she heard Kara begin to laugh quietly to herself. "What's so funny girl?"

The Gold Ranger rose to her feet slowly, "You think you're fast Shemhazai? Just try to catch me." Turning to the other Rangers, she gave a slight nod, "Just follow my lead and wait for the signal to strike."

Shemhazai snarled and lashed her whip sword at the Gold Ranger but Kara channeled her lightning powers to dodge the blow and dart around several of the pillars lining the throne room. The Cambion witch growled and continued to try and strike her target until Kara maneuvered the whip around a pillar and pinned it in place with her twin scimitars.

To the demon's surprise, Kara made a quick agile movement twisting her swords and causing the whip to be pulled taut.

"Rangers! Now!" she called as Nick rose up to strike with his hammer. The Green Ranger delivered a powerful blow on the taut cord and shattered the Counselor's weapon apart.

Shemhazai gave another furious shriek as she tossed the weapon aside and ignited her hands with demonic fire, preparing to hurl searing bolts of magic at the Green and Gold Rangers. As she did, both Danny and Izzy rushed in to block the attack. The Blue Ranger gave a grunt of effort and raised a large swirling shield of water to neutralize the incoming fireballs while Izzy helped steady him. The bolts struck the water with forceful impacts and erupted into clouds of steam which the Pink Ranger blew away with her own wind element.

The moment the blinding smoke cleared, Shemhazai gasped in shock as Danny and Izzy tumbled clear allowing Claire a direct shot at the demon with a supercharged shot from her bow. The White Ranger loosed an arrow and a powerful icy burst of energy struck the Counselor throwing her back up the dais and onto the throne room seat, an ice arrow pinning her side to the chair.

While the ice momentarily transfixed Shemhazai to the chair and crystallized around her body, the wounded demon gave one more burst of counter magic and shattered the ice. As she rose, several golden blaster shots fired from the Red Ranger rang out and struck her, throwing her back down violently into the chair. Shemhazai roared again as the last two shots struck her directly in the forehead, shattering a chunk of her headpiece revealing part of her disfigured face and an ugly red eye underneath the mask.

The stunned Counselor slumped back down in her seat, defeated. "Damn you Rangers… damn you all…" Shemhazai cursed in a feeble raspy hiss.

Joe shook his head at the pitiful demon and twirled his Feather Stinger pistol exactly as Carter Grayson had taught him back in Santa Barbara before holstering it one fluid motion. "It's over Lady Shemhazai. You've lost the tower. Gideon is not coming back to help you."

Just then, a familiar dark laugh was heard causing the six Vanguard Rangers to freeze in dread. The deep laughter continued to reverberate through the entire throne room, as if coming from all sides at once before a luminous translucent figure took shape at the center of the room. His six wings and beautiful fair features were unmistakable… it was Archangel Gideon, or rather some sort of projection of him. He turned his gaze toward the leader of the Vanguard Rangers, "You're mistaken Red Ranger. I gave Shemhazai my solemn word that I would return to help destroy you… and I intend to keep that promise."

From the ruins of the marble throne, Shemhazai raised herself weakly, "Lord Gideon… thank you."

The Archangel turned to his vanquished servant with a mildly amused smile, "No, thank you Shemhazai for being loyal… too loyal."

The Counselor frowned slightly and struggled to rise from the chair, "What? I don't understand…"

"You always thought you were so cunning, when you were really just as great a fool as Abaddon," Gideon laughed, "A loyal and useful one, but a fool nonetheless."

The projection of the Archangel began to idly pace and calmly walked past the Red Ranger toward the throne. "I know how you betrayed Abaddon, Shemhazai. I know the games you played, and the puppets you manipulated… all in an attempt to curry favor with me. But I have no need for such treacherous servants. How long until you grow dissatisfied with your own lot and try to overthrow me next?"

"Lord Gideon… I did it all for you… to help you achieve everything you wanted," Shemhazai cried in alarm with wide eyes.

"No, you did it for yourself." Gideon corrected her, "I have everything I want now... my freedom on Earth, a purged army, and the destruction of all my enemies at once, including you and the Vanguard Rangers."

The Rangers gasped in silent shock watching the drama unfold as the Cambion leadership continued revealing their plots against each other. Finally, Joe spoke up in a forceful voice, "What are you playing at Gideon? You're not even here right now."

The fallen Archangel flashed a sadistic smile, "On the contrary. Look outside the window."

The six Rangers peered out the large throne room window and watched in surprise as they saw Gideon hovering in the distance. He floated in the air with his six wings spread, all while glowing with an unearthly golden yellow aura of light around him. The projection in the throne spoke again addressing everybody, "Lady Shemhazai believed I was re-positioning my soldiers… and I was. With their help, I now have a giant ritual circle to send the Dark Spire crashing back into the maelstrom of the Abyss."

"What? Why would you sacrifice your own stronghold when you just arrived?" Danny asked in confusion.

Gideon laughed, "Now that I am free and my power restored, what use have I for a stronghold? I have the entire world at fingertips. Once the people of this world witness my power and glory, they will build me an even greater palace."

"I still don't understand," Nick growled tightening the grip on his hammer.

The Gold Ranger slowly turned to the projection of Gideon, "I see now. You're going to play the part of the hero before all the people of Hyperion Falls. You want to be the glorious Archangel who appears and throws the demons back in the Abyss for good… so that the world worships you as its savior."

Gideon nodded to Kara with a smile, "It takes an Empyrian to know one. After all, what sense is there in ruling over an empty desolate world?"

"Where are the people of the city?" Izzy demanded with a growl.

"Relocated and safe for now Pink Ranger," Gideon smirked, "As we speak, they are being set free to witness my glory. And if they do not bow down and worship me, then I will make them, until every human knows their place."

Joe clenched his fist in growing anger, "You're completely mad Gideon! We're not going to let that happen!"

"You are in no position to threaten me Red Ranger," Gideon sneered, "In mere moments, the ritual will be complete, and you and everyone else in the Spire will be thrown back into the Abyss… forever."

The projection gave another maniacal laugh and faded as Shemhazai slumped back on the throne room seat, completely giving in to her despair. Meanwhile, the six Rangers gathered together and braced themselves as they felt the entire tower begin to rumble.

"This does not look good," Claire said quickly looking about the throne room, "We've got to find some way out of here before Gideon brings the entire place down on our heads!"

The Green Ranger hefted his weapon and hurried to the window, raising his weapon. "Simple. We smash the glass and fly out."

He took a great swing, but found his strike was halted by a magic force field that had been activated by Gideon. With another growl, he took a few more swings and saw it was pointless. "Damn! He must have activated some sort of ward on the tower."

The Rangers did not have long to respond as the rumbling intensified and they felt the entire tower shake. To their horror, the Dark Spire slowly began to rise from the ground. From the windows, they could see the dark clouds above the tower begin to swirl and open up a violent portal back into the stormy hellish Abyss.

"Cannae," Joe quietly growled to himself invoking his own history reference.

"We are so screwed," Danny muttered in dread before Izzy grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the throne room doors.

"Come on! The best we can do right now is head down to the ground floor away from that hell gate in the sky."

Claire stopped and glanced at the broken form of Shemhazai still slumping upon the ruined throne, "What about Shemhazai?"

"Forget her," Joe said quickly while waving the rest of his friends after the Pink Ranger, "Follow Izzy. The closer we stay to the ground, the more time we have to figure a way out."

* * *

While the Spire continued to creak and rumble violently, the Vanguard Rangers scrambled down the halls and glided down the stairwells with their wings. All about them, the remaining Magogs and demon inhabitants of the tower ran by in a panic, too preoccupied with saving their own lives than stopping a group of angelic intruders.

After making it back down to the base of the tower, the Vanguard Rangers looked on in dismay as several other lesser demons frantically scratched and clawed in desperation at the high stained glass windows as well as the main gate doors. Just like the Rangers, the demons were denied escape from the powerful glowing wards that now blocked the exits of the doomed tower.

The tower shuddered violently causing the six friends to sway and grab each other for balance as the panicked chattering of the demons grew louder around them.

"It would seem Gideon is more determined than we thought," Kara noted grimly, "To go to all this trouble for even just a Pyrrhic victory against us. Not even his own demon garrisons can find a way out."

"We're not going to let Gideon win," the Red Ranger insisted firmly "If we can't break out of the tower with direct force, then we'll have to use magic."

The others watched as he quickly transfigured his Keyrune into Auriel's Trumpet.

"Are you sure about this?" Claire asked hesitantly, "I mean, will that even be enough power to breach the wards?"

Joe took a deep breath and gave a determined look, "It has to be. I'm responsible for this team's safety and I'll be damned if I don't at least try."

The other Rangers stood back as he sounded the trumpet and summoned the Red Seraph armor again. All about the main hall of the Spire, the demon minions suddenly began to flee or cower in fear before the fiery mantle of the Red Ranger. Joe quickly drew his longsword and drove it straight into the front doors, exerting all the magic and strength he could bear against Gideon's sealing wards.

The others watched in awe as the Red Seraphim's glowing wings intensified and the tip of the blazing longsword began to melt through the seal. Danny clenched his fist and strode forward with his own glowing Keyrune, "Come on everyone! He's almost there. Let's give em a hand!"

The other Rangers brought their own powers to bear on the doorway and watched as the six combined elements wore away a section of the wards allowing the Red Ranger to pierce through the thick front doors of the Spire, cutting a hole for them to escape. With another blast of celestial power, the six burst through the opening only to find themselves plummeting back down toward the city below. As they tumbled in midair, the six Rangers saw the Dark Spire continue to rise high into the dark swirling storm clouds above.

Having summoned their own wings to glide back down safely to the roof of a high-rise building, the exhausted Vanguard Rangers looked up in the sky to see the glowing form of Archangel Gideon send the Dark Spire back into the gate to the Abyss. As the fortress tower was absorbed into the hell gate, a terrible thundering sound was heard from the portal as the Spire's superstructure was violently ripped apart and torn asunder by the powerful storms of the hellish sub-dimension.

Upon the destruction of the Dark Spire, the storm clouds dissipated and the skies began to partially clear over the ravaged city. Having exhausted a great deal of their power, the Vanguard Rangers slumped down to the ground to rest and powered down. The Dark Spire may have been gone and the Cambion Generals eliminated, but there was still a greater problem at hand. The presence of a deranged Archangel had made himself known and the final confrontation with their greatest enemy was looming ever closer.

For now, the Vanguard Rangers could only hope they could muster enough strength to ensure the safety of Hyperion Falls and end the millennia old conflict that had been raging between the angels, demons, and humans alike.


	67. Crown of Thorns

**Episode 34: Part 1  
**

It had been two days since the destruction of the Dark Cambion Spire and an uneasy peace had fallen over the battered city of Hyperion Falls. While a sizeable force of Magog soldiers remained, they had fallen back and gone into hiding. According to the accounts of civilians who had been taken prisoner by the demons, a beautiful golden Archangel had appeared from the heavens and freed them from their prison camps. It was not known where he had gone afterward, but the people of the city were both relieved and shaken by the traumatic events of the last several days.

It had almost looked like an apocalypse had fallen upon them, and yet it seemed to have been prevented, if temporarily. As no one in the city could even seem to explain the events, the people decided it was best to just start rebuilding from the massive damage caused by the last attack.

That morning, Danny Winthrope made his way downstairs to the dormitory cafeteria. He was still dressed in his night clothes and he found his fellow Rangers all sitting at a nearby table in a similar state. They all looked tired and disheveled from the last several days of non stop fighting, stress, and narrow escapes from death. Kara had stayed overnight sharing Izzy's room and today, the normally angelic looking Gold Ranger looked just as haggard as they did. If only their fellow classmates around them knew what was really going on.

As Danny took a seat next to Claire, she passed him a plate of toast and jam then slouched her head on the side of his shoulder. "Can't eat… too tired," she groaned.

Kara gave her a passing glance before turning to the others, "All things considered… everything has been well?"

From across the table, Joe rubbed his bleary eyes and took a drink from his coffee mug, "I'd say so. Campus isn't on complete lockdown anymore so that's a good sign… I guess."

Izzy stirred her bowl of cereal and nodded toward a television hanging from a corner wall, still reporting about the recent Cambion assault, "I heard that all the people who were captured in the city were let go and they witnessed Gideon destroy his fortress. A miracle, the newscasters were saying."

Kara gave a derisive snort at the notion, "If only they knew the truth. There has to be a way to expose him as a fraud."

"Short of us revealing our identities and calling him out in public, I doubt there's going to be an easy way Kara," Claire shrugged.

While the Gold Ranger clenched her fist, Nick turned to the others, "I got a call from my folks yesterday night. They were concerned for my safety since the college isn't too far from the city. I can't say I blame them because they said they were too scared to leave the farm during the attack."

Each of the other Rangers related similar concerns from their own families. During the invasion, communication had been cut off and everyone was in a complete state of confusion for a few days. Fortunately, with some semblance of order restored, the people of Hyperion Falls could get back to work fixing their homes and checking in on the safety of their loved ones.

After a long pause, the Red Rangers spoke again, "The demons may have withdrawn for now, but there's still a legion of soldiers out there hiding along with Gideon. I'm sure he knows what he's doing right now."

"Considering he played Shemhazai for a fool and almost killed us in his tower, I believe it," Danny remarked taking a bite of his toast, "He was one step ahead of all of us there."

"The sooner we confront him and put him down, the better," Joe replied darkly before Claire reached across the table and put her hand over his.

"I agree with you Joe, but we have to slow down for a minute. Look around. Everyone is tired and weary from all the battles."

Nick cleared his throat to get everyone's attention and pointed toward the newscast on the television, "Well, whatever we do, we'd better decide soon. It looks like the devil we know is at it again."

On the television was a live newscast coming from downtown Hyperion Falls where Archangel Gideon had descended to speak with the people of the city. The beautiful fair featured Empyrian angel was clad in a majestic suit of golden plate armor and the feathers of his six wings were tucked back, gently ruffling in the breeze. The Rangers continued to watch in chagrin as he was swarmed by an adoring cheering mob, wanting to thank him for "freeing" them from the demon prisons and for destroying the Dark Spire.

Amid the adulation, Gideon gave a serene gracious smile and invoked a blessing upon the people before beginning to speak to reporters and answer their questions. For now he would play the role of the gracious hero and lure the people into a false sense of security. Only when the time was right would he spring his trap and show his true nature.

"Do you think we should call Bishop on this one?" the Blue Ranger asked but Joe shook his head and quickly rose from the table.

"There's no time right now. We need to stop his message and reveal the truth about him as soon as we can. If we wait, the media will blow this up and Gideon will have access to national audiences."

* * *

Sometime later in downtown Hyperion Falls, Archangel Gideon addressed a crowd that had gathered within one of the central plazas. The Archangel raised his arms and spoke in a loud clear voice, "People of Hyperion Falls, I thank you for welcoming me. I've come to you with a message of great importance… one that affects your future, and the future of this entire world. Three days ago, your beloved city was set upon by an army of vicious demons… the same monsters who have plagued your home for over a year now. Those monsters had been drawn to the weakness and wickedness in human hearts and they sought to make this place their own."

"Today I come to you, under the mandate of a higher celestial power and implore you people of Hyperion Falls to repent from your sinful ways. I have come to protect you and show you the way."

The crowds suddenly began to murmur and Gideon looked up to see six morphed Power Rangers gently descend from the skies with their own angelic wings into the city plaza. As the crowd parted, Gideon curled his lip into an amused smile as the Red Ranger stepped forward to confront him.

"It's time to stop telling these people your lies Gideon," he said firmly.

Gideon stopped and gave a calm angelic smile, "Well, if it isn't the Vanguard Rangers. I see the six of you did survive the demon invasion after all. I don't recall you having been involved in banishing the Black Tower though."

"Quit lying through your teeth Gideon," Nick snarled while he clenched his fist, "You were the one who trapped us there and almost got us killed."

The shocked citizens around them began to murmur again, asking questions amongst each other while Gideon raised an eyebrow, "Are you suggesting that I am aligned with those foul monsters?"

"We're saying that you aren't what you claim to be," Joe retorted turning to address the startled people, "People of Hyperion Falls, this angel named Gideon has come to try and convince you to bow down before him, but he is not some kind of hero or divine savior. He is the leader of the demon army that has been attacking this city."

"Such nonsense," Gideon snorted, "I am an Empyrian angel. What other power could make people fall to their knees in humble reverence? I have come to show these people the way to light and peace. They have witnessed a great trial, and I wish to deliver them from any further suffering. Do you doubt my power Red Ranger?"

"No," Joe replied with a level voice, "But I understand where it came from, and because I do, I won't bow before you or submit to your authority."

A slight hint of irritation crossed the Archangel's face before he spoke again, "You claim that I am a fraud, but if that is true, then you Rangers are pretenders as well. I know for a fact that you are not who you claim to be."

The civilians turned to listen to the Archangel as he narrowed his features into a catlike grin, "The six of you masquerade as heroes of old but you are not angelic warriors acting under a divine mandate. You are common humans, just like everyone else here. Without the powers of my brothers and sisters, you are nothing but glorified vigilantes… unless you're willing to prove me wrong."

"Forget it Gideon. We're not going to remove our helmets or give up our Keyrunes to you either," Kara growled tensing herself into a ready state.

"Those powers do not belong to you child," Gideon fired back, "You would refuse to repent and throw your lot in with these thieves?"

"The same human blood still runs through my veins," the Gold Ranger said firmly, "They are my family now."

Gideon shook his head sadly, "Then I will pray for you child. You six may have fought against the Cambion demons, but you still stand in the way of these people's path to righteousness. It will be my sad duty to fight you if you won't submit."

The Red Ranger growled and reached for the hilt of the gladius at his side. Gideon was playing the crowd against them and winning. "If that's what it's going to take, then so be it."

The Archangel began to laugh and raised a hand to halt him, "There's no need to settle this here Red Ranger. Why endanger all these innocent bystanders?"

"What are you suggesting then?"

Gideon put a finger to his chin and tapped it thoughtfully, "You realize that our little conflict revolves around who the true heir to the Empyrian legacy is. We'll do this the old way…. with a formal challenge. We'll do battle at an agreed time and at a neutral location."

"Like a duel? Just between you and I?" Joe asked in surprise.

Gideon shook his head, "No. With all the Vanugard Rangers. This does affect all of you, doesn't it?"

Claire stepped forward and whispered quietly at Joe's side, "Do you think he's bluffing if he says he's willing to fight all of us at once? He seems awfully confident."

"We don't have much of a choice," Danny answered quietly stepping beside the Red Ranger from the other side, "Gideon is calling us out in front of the whole city."

Joe took several deep breaths to keep himself calm before turning to the others, "We put it to a vote then. Who here thinks we should do this?"

He watched as each of the other five Rangers slowly nodded their heads in silence. After a long pause, the Red Ranger turned back to face the fallen Archangel, "Then we accept your challenge Gideon. We'll meet on the Alabaster Flats, the plains just outside the city limits."

Gideon nodded, "Very well. At noon tomorrow then. I hope our trial by combat will finally settle things once and for all."

The Rangers and the citizens of Hyperions Falls watched as the Archangel spread his six wings and took off into the skies, soaring higher and higher until he disappeared behind a cloud bank. Immediately, the reporters and civilians in front began to clamor and surge toward the Rangers asking questions. Before they could get near, the Vanguard Rangers called their own wings and quickly took the skies, heading back to the quiet safety of their university campus. The situation had drastically changed and a final confrontation was now looming. As the six heroes continued to fly, they hoped they would be able to regroup and find a way to secure the victory they had fought so long and hard for.

* * *

Later that day, the six Rangers assembled in the Rookery building, all sitting in a circle around the wooden desk of Professor Bishop. Having told their teacher of the most recent confrontation with Gideon, the Rangers sat quietly, waiting for a reaction from their mentor. Instead, Bishop wore a stony look on his face and furrowed his brow.

"You accepted Gideon's challenge then," he said crossing his arms, "You're sure about this?"

"No," Joe admitted, "But this may be our one chance to end this whole conflict for good."

Bishop chewed his lip, "You don't really expect Gideon is going to fight fair, do you?"

"He may if his pride is on the line," Danny said from where he was sitting, "We already know that can be his greatest weakness after the last time we fought him. He's made a public spectacle out of this whole thing, we might as well try to draw some advantage from it, right?"

"Danny is right," Nick added, "Besides, we've said it before. We have all the tools we need to fight now. We have the experience and the will to win. I think if we fight smart and believe, we just might be able to pull this off."

Bishop remained quiet until Izzy tilted her head with a questioning look, "You disagree Professor?"

The History teacher gave another troubled look and shook his head, "I don't know... I just... I just feel like we're missing something here. I don't know why I feel that, but I just do."

Claire gave a deep sigh and tried to give him a reassuring look, "It's ok Professor. We know you're worried. Believe me, we're all scared too, but if this is what it's going to have to take to win the war with the Cambion demons, then we'll do it."

"It's only been a year, but you've all grown so much," Bishop sighed wistfully looking over his young charges.

"It's because of you Professor," the Red Ranger said rising to his feet, "If it wasn't for you gathering us together and working tirelessly on discovering the ancient secrets of our Keyrunes, we wouldn't be where we are right now. You taught us the importance of our own history and helped to make us better Rangers while doing so."

The others nodded in agreement, filling the Professor with an unusual moment of emotion. He put his hands on his desk and steadied himself before looking up slowly, "Everyone... thank you. Whatever happens, I want you to know that I'm proud to be your teacher, and I want to be with you on the battlefield when you face Gideon tomorrow."

"Professor..."

"Please," Bishop insisted, "I may have my responsibilities to all of you as your teacher, but a mentor's place is with their Rangers... especially when they need it most."

The Red Ranger paused a moment before his expression softened and he gave a quiet but appreciative nod, "All right Professor."

As he took another breath, Professor Bishop sat back down in his seat and moved to adjourn their meeting, "If that's been settled, then I think it's best we make the most of this day to rest and prepare ourselves. Come tomorrow, I know we'll all be grateful for it."


	68. Gethsemane

**Episode 34: Part 2**

Late afternoon rays of sunlight hung low across the campus skies as Nick Adler knelt, hunched over a large gardening trough outside the greenhouses. Although he appeared busy while working his hands through the dark soil, he did so with a slow and methodical calmness. The fading sunlight might have been viewed as a signal that dinner was approaching and the end of the day was near, but he continued to work unhurried.

As he lovingly patted a mound of soil down, he heard the sound of footsteps from behind him. He turned his head slightly and was surprised to find the Gold Ranger Kara approach slowly.

"Nick, the others will be gathering for dinner within the hour. I came to let you know."

The Green Ranger nodded and continued his work calmly, "Thank you Kara. I'll be there when I'm finished with this."

She tilted her head curiously and walked closer, looking over his shoulder, "What are you doing?"

Nick reached into a small bag nearby and lovingly drew out several seeds, showing them to her in his hand. "I'm planting some strawberry seeds. They were always one of my favorite fruits."

"I didn't think you'd be doing any work... what with tomorrow and all," Kara said.

Nick continued to plant the seeds and gave a sigh, "All the more reason to do this. I might not get another chance."

The Gold Ranger stood in silence for a moment, "You're afraid about what might happen tomorrow?"

"Of course. Aren't you?" Nick asked glancing at her.

She frowned to herself a moment and gave a small nod, "When I was trained as a warrior, I learned to try not to think of death. I think it was easy at the time because I didn't have much to live for. But now... I'm not so sure."

The Green Ranger gave her a gentle smile and nodded, "I want to believe that we'll be able to pull through and end Gideon's reign of terror for good. But if we don't... well, I wanted to at least make sure that I still did something to make the world a better place than the way I left it."

Kara remained silent while Nick went back to work before turning and walking off. As Nick continued to work the soil, he gave a sigh wondering where the Gold Ranger went. It took courage for him to admit that he was scared of what might happen tomorrow and he felt bad if his friend was still too proud to admit her own fears.

Moments later, he felt her hand on his shoulder and he turned around in surprise. She had walked off into a nearby greenhouse shed to retrieve a watering can filled with water. "Kara? What are you..."

The Gold Ranger gave a serene smile and knelt down with the watering can over his mounds of soil, "We'll need to make sure these seeds have enough water to last until we return. If it's not too much trouble... I'd like to help you."

Nick gave a gentle laugh and moved over, giving her room as the two friends continued working on the little garden.

* * *

After a long somber meal that evening, the Vanguard Rangers parted ways after dinner, to rest and mentally prepare for the coming confrontation with Archangel Gideon. After a time, Danny Winthrope went to his single room and lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had dimmed his lights hoping that it would help him get to bed earlier, but it wasn't working.

Giving a sigh, he glanced over toward his desk where he kept a cork-board. Pinned on it were several pictures taken over the last year or so of himself and his Ranger friends. Some were just photos of them clowning around on campus, others were of places they had been like Santa Barbara, while the rest showed some scenes from their daily lives together, whether at a school activity, a party, or even just a meal out on the town. He got up from bed and walked over to the board, smiling as he looked at the pictures. In a way, Professor Bishop was right. It was amazing how much the six of them had grown in such a short time.

It almost felt like yesterday when he met the others in Bishop's classroom at fall. He remembered how they had witnessed the demons' first attempt at overrunning the campus and how they took up the Keyrunes to become Power Rangers for the very first time. It was a lot to take in and reflect upon. Not only had they changed as a group, but he had changed too. He wasn't the same person he was a year ago, and despite the burden of having to fight horrific monsters with this fellow Rangers, he was glad for it.

The bonds between the Rangers had strengthened and now, he couldn't imagine life without his five other friends. Whatever would happen tomorrow, the thought of any of that changing really frightened him. As he continued to reflect, he heard a gentle knock at the door and he looked up.

"Come in. It's open," he called.

To his surprise, he saw Izzy enter from the hallway and close the door behind her. She had a hesitant look on her face as she looked about the dim room.

"Hey... I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

The Blue Ranger shook his head and gestured for her to take a seat next him at the foot of his bed, "No. It's ok. I couldn't sleep. What's up?"

She shrugged, "I couldn't rest either and I guess I just wanted to talk to someone, you know?"

Danny gave a comforting smile and put an arm over her shoulder, "Talk away."

There was a long pause and the Pink Ranger frowned, as if trying to figure out her own feelings, "I keep thinking about tomorrow Danny, and what might be the biggest fight of our lives. No matter what I do, there's a nagging thought at the back of my mind. What if something goes wrong? What if we don't succeed? Gideon means to play for keeps and I'm scared."

"What are you afraid of?"

Izzy turned to look at him, "Isn't it obvious? I'm afraid of falling in battle. There's so much I still want to do and to see. There are so many more things that I want to experience, and memories to make with you and all the others."

"I'll protect you out there Iz. I promise that I won't let anything happen to you," Danny said firmly.

"That's just it," she said, "I don't want to be scared of losing you either. We've only just begun to be together."

Danny smiled slightly and tried to gave a reassuring look, "After all this time of trying to make this a real thing, do you really think I'm planning to go off and do something as stupid as getting myself killed?"

"No... I suppose not," she smiled back with a small laugh.

"Right now, I think it's just best that we stay positive and try to make the best of the time we have. To just... enjoy the moment," Danny said pulling her close and giving her a kiss in the dim light of the room.

As he did, he felt both Izzy's hands touch his face as she deepened the kiss. After a moment, she leaned back on the bed and pulled him down on top of her. As they lay together, he broke the kiss for a moment with a surprised frown, "Izzy... what?"

"I don't want to be alone tonight Dan, and I don't think you do either. Can we just... live in the moment tonight?"

The Blue Ranger paused for a moment before giving a small nod and pressing his lips to hers again.

* * *

Meanwhile, Joseph Hale sat alone on the rooftop of the dormitory building. It was a calm clear night and he raised his head to gaze at the majestic tapestry of shimmering stars above. It was all so quiet and peaceful, and he hoped that it would help bring some of that calmness into his burdened heart. In his hand, he held his Keyrune and he glanced at the red stone fixed within it, almost as if he were praying in vain that Archangel Auriel would speak to him once more and offer him some sort of wisdom or reassurance that the Rangers would be able to succeed in the daunting task ahead of them.

As he took another deep breath and looked up to the sky, he heard a soft voice call out, "There you are. I was wondering where you ran off to."

He turned to see Claire approach slowly from the stairwell leading up to the roof. The White Ranger pulled her sweater closer to herself to ward off the cool air of the evening before coming to sit down beside the leader of the Vanguard Rangers. "Is everything ok? You look just as grim as Archangel Auriel does right now."

Joe's expression softened at her gentle attempt at humor before he gave a sigh, "You really want to know, don't you?"

Claire gave him a little nudge in the shoulder, "Well, I am your girlfriend now, remember? I kinda have to ask... whether you like it or not."

The Red Ranger raised an eyebrow before turning back to the stars, "I was just wondering how other past teams of Power Rangers dealt with things, knowing they were headed into their final battles. Most of all, what did the other Red Rangers like Carter do or think?"

Claire put a hand on his shoulder, "Carter was a great leader and a legendary Red Ranger, but he isn't the leader of the Vanguard Rangers. You are. Our team has its own legend to make and it's not going to be the same as the others."

"Thanks," Joe nodded with a faint smile. "And you're right Claire."

"I usually am," she said proudly looking up to the stars too.

"You're not afraid of what might happen tomorrow?"

The White Ranger turned to him with a steady look, "We've made it this far and won the other battles. As long as you're leading us, I know now that there's nothing to fear."

Joe took her hand and the two sat sharing a companionable silence for a while before he spoke. "You know, it's hard to imagine that all this happened to us, isn't it? There's been a lot of struggle and hardship, but there's also been a lot of good too... getting to help other people, making friends with you guys... this."

He squeezed her hand a moment, "I'm glad for it, and when this whole war is over, I'm going to help do my part to rebuild our city and make it better than it was. I hope you and the others will still want to help me do that, even if there aren't any more monsters to fight."

"I'm not going anywhere," Claire said squeezing his hand back, "And for right now, I was hoping we could just stay here like this for a while... it feels nice."

The two smiled to each other, remembering the similar words exchanged two Valentine's Days ago. The Red Ranger put his arm around Claire and held her close as they continued their vigilant watch over the night skies, "Yeah... I think so too."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Well readers, here was one more short little chapter before we head into the final confrontation. Thank you for making it this far with me! With that said, I'm going to need to call a brief time-out to do some rewrites and revisions to make sure the end is the best it can possibly be. I've already spoiled you guys enough this week with a chapter a day so just bear with me here. I promise I'll be back soon!**


	69. Dies Irae

**Episode 35: Part 1  
**

The next morning, the Vanguard Rangers gathered together at the old stone tower that had served as their home base over the past year and a half. Standing out on the tower's front lawn, they found Professor Bishop waiting for them with a sober expression.

As the six Rangers met him, they exchanged a silent nod of acknowledgement as a gentle breeze began to gust. Despite it being early March, the weather was unseasonably mild and the light of sun shone warmly on them.

After a pause, Bishop checked his watch, "We'd best get going. Noon is approaching."

The Red Ranger nodded and drew his Keyrune, "I know Professor. But before we go… I wanted to try something."

Bishop gave a curious look as Joe continued, "We know that Archangel Auriel had entrusted the protection of his trumpet to a loyal ally… one who acted as his flag bearer and herald when going into battle. If Gideon has challenged us to a formal battle, then I think our side's going to need of an official Herald too."

"And you want me to be the Herald?" Bishop gasped in shock, "Why not Danny… or Kara even? It makes much more sense that one of them should take that duty."

Dan and Kara shook their heads as Joe smiled, "No Professor. We had a group vote and we chose you. If anything should happen out there, we can trust that our Keyrunes and Trumpet would be safe in your care."

"I… thank you everyone," the professor stammered.

The Red Ranger summoned his Trumpet and held it out to Bishop. As the Professor grasped it with his own hand, a shimmering light engulfed him, endowing him with a fine suit of Empyrian half-plate armor and a barbute helmet. The plates were made of polished white steel and a decorative tabard was draped over the Professor's torso. The surcoat was a deep red color with a white sunburst. Looking at his arms, Bishop found himself equipped with a round steel shield and a finely crafted mace.

As Bishop continued to stare in wonder at his knightly transformation, Joe smiled and turned to the others, "Now we're ready."

* * *

Some time later, the first five Vanguard Rangers descended from the skies and gently touched down of the Alabaster Flats just outside the city. It was a large flat plain and the recent thaw of the winter snow left the yellow-green grass matted down. Using her powers of lightning movement, Kara arrived on the field moments later with Bishop in tow. While the other Rangers were already morphed, he was still girded in his new battle armor as well.

"It's almost time," Claire remarked while scanning the plains tensely, "I wonder where Gideon is."

Up above, the skies had begun to cloud up leaving a thin obscuring haze in the air while filtering out the brightest rays of the sun. A few moments later, the Rangers heard the sounds of wings from above and looked up to see a familiar angelic figure descend from the cloud cover. As Archangel Gideon strode forward in his suit of golden plate armor, he swept his wings back briskly as if adjusting a royal cape.

The beautiful fair featured Lord of the Cambion Legion gave a mild look of interest as he addressed his opponents. "Rangers, you've come… and you brought a friend."

"I am acting as the Herald of the Empyrian Angels," Bishop called out, trying to temper his own fear of the demon prince.

Gideon smiled, "Following ancient customs of my people. I'm impressed humans. I hope you don't mind if I brought a few witnesses too."

The Rangers watched in shock as they saw a large line of Magog soldiers march over a nearby hill at the edge of the plains. The battalion of demon foot soldiers approached before they halted and stood at crisp attention.

"What are they doing here Gideon?" Kara growled, "We agreed we would only fight you."

The Archangel shook his head, "The Magogs will stand their ground and not attack, but my quarrel is not with you Gold Ranger. I only agreed to fight those five who would pretend to lay claim to the powers of my brothers and sisters."

Kara glanced over to Joe expectantly. Though he couldn't see her face behind her visor, the Red Ranger could already read the indignation in her body language.

"He can't be serious," she said clenching her fists.

Bishop grimaced before chiming in, "Maybe it is best if we stand back in reserve. Gideon's still got a small army here waiting in the wings."

"We can't trust that Gideon would keep his word either," Joe added looking at the Gold Ranger, "Kara, we may need you and Bishop to cover our backs, or be the last line of defense for the city if anything should happen to us."

For once, Kara's fears and concerns for her own Ranger family were getting the better of her but she took a breath and nodded, "All right. Everyone… just be careful."

The first five Vanguard Rangers stepped forward and produced their Keyrunes slowly.

"We're here just as we agreed," the Red Ranger called out, "It's time to end this ancient conflict once and for all."

"I will look forward to it," Gideon smiled calmly as two high ranking demon attendants came forward and presented him with his weapons, a magnificent longsword and a decorative shield.

The Archangel took his weapons and waited patiently as the Rangers used their Keyrunes to summon their own golden armor and ready their weapons. Up above, the haze of clouds began shifting slowly opening up scattered curtains of sunlight from the sky.

"This is it everyone," Danny said quietly to the others while gripping his spear tightly, "We have to go all out now."

Bishop and Kara held their breaths watching the silent standoff until a ray of light from the cloud cover passed over Gideon and he raised his sword, reflecting the glare toward his enemies. In a flash, the Archangel surged forward at blinding speed, ready to strike. Just as quickly, the Rangers split off into the air in several directions, before changing direction and diving back down on Gideon in a furious storm of wings and steel.

* * *

Bishop, Kara, and the rest of the Cambion troops watched with wide eyes as six angelic warriors began to clash on the wide open grasslands. Danny was the first to strike leading with a spear thrust, but Gideon raised his guard with his sword and deflected the blow sideways. Using the momentum of his parry, the Archangel raised his head just in time to bring his shield up and stop the blow of Nick's warhammer which reverberated across the battlefield with a thunderous sound of ringing steel.

As the Green Ranger pushed off and leapt backwards into the air, both Claire and Izzy followed up, leaping toward Gideon with their own weapons. Again, the fallen Archangel demonstrated his superior defense as his six wings extended out and rapidly curled around him in a defensive shield halting the girls' attacks. As he parted his wings and the girls darted away to both sides, Gideon turned his head slightly to see Joe attack from behind with a leaping overhead strike of his saber. Using his rapid speed, the Archangel dodged the blow and circled around to counterattack with his own sword.

To Gideon's surprise, Joe followed through from his attack and made an intuitive counter-blow, effectively blocking Gideon's strike. As the force of the colliding blades sent both combatants skidding backwards, the Rangers regrouped as Gideon began to smirk in amusement.

"Very impressive. You Rangers have come a long way in your combat skill. The original five would have been proud."

"Are you going to talk us to death Gideon?" Nick called back in a challenge as he waved his Keyrune along the ground causing a wave of spike shaped rocks to erupt from the ground. The Archangel took to the skies to evade the elemental attack and beat his wings, unleashing a hail of fiery bolts from his wings back at the Rangers.

Danny stepped forward and made circular sweeping motions with his Keyrune calling forth a swirling body of water that followed his motions and deflected the magic, acting like a liquid shield. As the blast subsided, Claire gave her own Keyrune a wave and turned the water into large icy snowflakes with jagged edges, sending them whirling back at Gideon in the air like throwing stars.

The Archangel blocked several with his shield and slashed the others aside before diving down to attack again. The moment Gideon neared, Izzy focused on her Keyrune and summoned the most powerful wall of wind she could to halt their enemy. Gideon momentarily froze in the air, struggling to push through, allowing Joe a chance to rush forward unleashing a searing hot jet of flames from his own Keyrune.

Again, Gideon raised his ornamental shield and warded off the intense flamethrower, but as the wind dissipated, he lowered his shield and gasped in surprise as the Red Ranger made a direct winged leap at him, thrusting with his blade. Gideon turned his head just in time, but felt the tip of Joe's saber graze the side of his cheek, drawing first blood.

As the Rangers regrouped again, Gideon put a hand to the nick on his face and gave a look of pure fury. The wound itself was insignificant, but those insolent children had just marred his beauty and wounded his pride.

"You Rangers will pay for that," the Archangel snarled. With a cruel smile, he turned his eyes toward Kara and Bishop who were still watching from a safe distance. Gideon brandished his weapon and made a straight beeline toward them.

"No!" Danny cried out in horror as he reacted first and tried to interpose himself in their defense. In a heartbeat, Bishop gasped as the fallen Archangel surged forward, but Kara tackled the Professor to get them clear, while the Blue Ranger raised his spear and took a defensive stance. Danny felt his hands shake as he blocked Gideon's blow, but the sheer force of it, threw him off balance. As Gideon turned the spear aside, he charged his blade and struck the Blue Ranger with a devastating counter slash. Everyone gasped in shock as Danny collapsed on his side and his golden armor instantly dispelled.

"Fandaniel... you were always meddling and getting in the way of my schemes," Gideon sneered as if speaking to his ancient brethren.

At that moment, Izzy gave an anguished cry of fury and raced forward, trying to drive her rapier into the back of Gideon's exposed neck to avenge Danny. The fallen Archangel frowned and dodged the wild blow, while flexing his six wings. To the Pink Ranger's shock, she was pummeled by the six wings and violently thrown aside, landing near Danny on the ground. As Izzy lay stunned, her armor evaporated in a shimmering light.

"You were always too soft-hearted Ambriel. So preoccupied with others' pain that you would forget yourself."

As Gideon said that, he recoiled back a step as Nick charged from the side and delivered a furious hammer blow into his enemy's side. The Green Ranger roared in fury as he struck Gideon full on with another earth shattering blow, but Gideon only laughed amid the shower of sparks and the minimal dents that were left on his cuirass. He grabbed Nick's next strike and threw the shocked Green Ranger sideways, striking him with a powerful sword blow and dispelling his armor too.

"Hashmael... always so predictable," Gideon sighed, "Brave, but reckless."

He was silenced as a volley of freezing arrows blasted him from the other side, but Gideon broke away the ice and scoffed at the scorch marks on his armor. Turning toward Claire, he leveled his six wings and charged them with golden energy, firing a volley of super-heated projectiles at her. The White Ranger darted about in the air, dodging the golden fireballs as they tracked her movement like homing missiles. As she maneuvered clear, she gasped as Gideon swooped in front of her and sent her crashing to the ground with a powerful sword blow.

"Sandalaphon... so clever... but so pathetically weak," the Archangel laughed triumphantly as Claire rolled nearby the other fallen Rangers and lost her armored form as well. Flexing his wings again, Gideon slowly descended to the ground to confront the Red Ranger who now stood alone in shock.

One moment, the Rangers had actually been holding their own against Gideon but now... his four friends lay on the ground, stunned, de-powered, and possibly wounded as well. Joe turned to Gideon as the Archangel leveled his sword and gave a malevolent grin, "And finally Auriel... my brother... my rival... and my greatest enemy of all."

The Red Ranger turned and took one more glance to his injured friends who all lay stunned, trying feebly to rise to their feet again. He had to protect them and he had to do something to stop Gideon once and for all. He took a breath, trying to steady his heart and his shaking hand before summoning the Battlizer Trumpet. "All right Gideon... if you want a fight with Archangel Auriel, then that's what you're going to get!"

Gideon covered his eyes for a moment as Joe sounded the Trumpet and summoned the Red Seraphim armor. Before the Archangel could respond, the Seraph surged forward and plowed into him amid a tumultuous wave of flames and sunlight.

Kara and Bishop watched as the Seraphim swept Gideon up into the skies, leaving a large swath of scorched grass below. Amid the tempest of light and fire, Gideon roared in fury and raised his shield as Joe brought his longsword around in a powerful strike. The force of the sword blow caved the shield in and sent it spinning away as the two angels continued to tangle in the air at close quarters.

"You cannot overpower me," Gideon fumed turning his sword and trying to line up a counter thrust, but Joe grabbed the Archangel's forearm to restrain him. Bringing his sword arm around, the Seraph smashed his weapon-holding fist into Gideon's face, stunning him. With another cry of fury, Joe brought his longsword around and struck Gideon, hammering him across the chest repeatedly with punishing slashes.

As he pummeled Gideon, the Red Ranger could feel his strength beginning to fade as he reached the human limits of the armor. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to keep holding the form for as long as he possibly could in hopes it would be enough the slay Gideon. As the two tumbled in midair, Joe took one last great slash as he drove them both back into the grassy battlefield below. The blow shredded a section of Gideon's golden breastplate apart and left a deep scorch wound as the two slammed into the ground in a fireball.

Bishop and Kara shielded their eyes and staggered from the shockwave. They continued to stare in horror as the fires subsided and the smoke began to clear. By now, the other Rangers had weakly staggered to their knees and watched the spectacle unfold in stunned silence. Amid the fires, they saw a haggard looking Gideon stagger slowly to his feet. His once magnificent armor was now scorched, dented, and shredded while his mouth bled openly from where he had been punched.

The wounded Archangel advanced slowly with a murderous look toward the form of the exhausted Red Ranger who struggled to rise to his own knees. By now, Joe's armor had dispelled and his saber sword was broken in half. As he staggered over, Gideon grabbed the Red Ranger by the throat and lifted him up with an injured grunt, "You arrogant little human... to think you could take on he guise of Auriel and strike me down like he did... you will pay for your insolence."

Gideon spat a gob of his blood into the ground before extending his six wings and blasting the Ranger at point blank with his own searing golden fires. Joe screamed in pain and was thrown to the ground near his fellow Rangers while Gideon drunkenly reached to the ground and picked up his own sword.

The four other Vanguard Rangers gave horrified cries and despite their own wounds, stumbled over to help their injured leader sit up. As they gathered around him, he could only groan in pain as his suit bore terrible scorch marks from Gideon's attack.

"It's over Vanguard Rangers..." Gideon said raising his sword and igniting it with golden energy once more, "The battle is over and your world is mine."

With one great swing, the fallen Archangel sent a wave of energy toward the five from his sword. As each of the five Rangers feebly raised their hands to their eyes, they were all blinded in a white hot light.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Don't worry everyone, the story's not over yet. Our heroes will get better... I hope... so stay tuned! More on the way coming soon!**

 _ **Dies Irae: "Day of Wrath" in Latin**_


	70. De Profundis

**Episode 35: Part 2  
**

Kara and Professor Bishop stood paralyzed in horror as they watched the Vanguard Rangers disappear in a cloud of Gideon's fiery magic. As the shockwave passed over the grassland, a bright mote of light emerged and flew to Bishop, landing in his hand. To the Professor's shock, he found Auriel's Trumpet in the palm of his hand. If it had returned to him, it was quite possible the other Rangers had all been killed in that final blast.

As the Rangers' Herald stared at the Trumpet now left in his safekeeping, Kara gave a pained whimper before reaching for her gladius. She drew it quickly and gripped it as a terrible fury began to rise within her chest.

"Kara, what are you doing?" Bishop said, looking to her in alarm and reaching out to her.

"Get out of my way Professor!" the Gold Ranger spat in rage, "I'm going to kill him! I'm going to kill that bastard Gideon myself if I have to!"

Across the battlefield, the Archangel took a few wheezing breaths and fell to his knee before collapsing on his side. The Lord of the Cambion Legions should have been gloating in victory, but he had been dealt terrible injuries and instead grimaced in pain. In an instant, several demon officers of the remaining Magog battalion rushed out to aid their lord and prop him up.

"My Lord," the captain of the battalion began, "You've been wounded. We'll take you from this place so that you can be treated."

The Archangel wheezed again and grabbed the officer by his collar, "Destroy… destroy the city."

"Lord Gideon?"

The bloodied Archangel was lifted up, but fixed his eyes on the captain, "Those mortals did this to me and I want revenge for this insult. Burn Hyperion Falls to the ground. Kill anyone who resists."

The captain nodded as Gideon was carried away before turning to the rest of the demon troops, "You heard Lord Gideon! Move out!"

Back on the other side of the field, Kara and Bishop watched as the Magogs swarmed to protect their wounded lord and begin advancing in their menacing ranks. Bishop felt sweat drip from his brow as he watched the advancing enemy soldiers, "Kara… we have to fall back and regroup. There are too many of them out here and we don't stand a chance."

"It doesn't matter anymore!" Kara shouted in anguish, "For all we know the others are all dead now! Better that we make a stand and take as many demons as we can with us!"

"No!" Bishop said, "You know that there's no reason to needlessly throw your life away. The other Rangers wouldn't have wanted that. They need us to keep fighting… and they need us to be smart."

The Gold Ranger stopped and turned to him, moved by his words. As she took one more look toward the advancing mass of demon troops, she sheathed her blade and nodded. "We don't have much time. We need to retreat back into the city."

* * *

As the bright white light faded, Danny Winthrope found himself behind a large desk in a clean bright office. He blinked for a moment in confusion and looked down. He noticed that he was wearing a dark blue suit and tie before glancing at some of the small framed pictures on his desk. There was one of his college graduation, taken with his parents. Another picture showed him with his other Ranger friends, and another one beside it of him and Izzy, probably out on some fancy date night.

He rose from his chair and looked out the windows of the office to see downtown Hyperion Falls. The city looked clean, pristine… and safe.

How could this be? Was this all a dream? The last thing he remembered, he was on a scorched plane fighting the Lord of Demons with his friends. His thoughts were interrupted as a younger looking intern hurried in with a large stack of papers.

"Oh, Mr. Winthrope… here is the newest draft of the contract proposal for you to review."

The Blue Ranger blinked a moment and stared at the younger kid.

"Um… do you need anything else Mr. Winthrope?" the intern asked hesitantly.

"No… that's fine. Thank you," Danny said sitting down and dismissing his coworker. He glanced at the contract again, before looking up and seeing the glowing form of a magnificent Archangel with a blue aura. Danny nearly fell backwards in his seat as Archangel Fandaniel extended a gentle hand, "Do not be afraid Daniel Winthrope. You and I have much to discuss."

* * *

As the white glare faded from her eyes, Claire Li blinked and found herself in what looked like a hospital pharmacy. She reached over and moved the bright lamp that was blinding her and looked about the pharmacy where rows of medications were neatly stacked around her.

To her shock, she found herself already dressed in a white doctor's lab coat and as she glanced at her own hands, she found a silver wedding ring already on her finger. When on earth did that even happen? She looked about in confusion while other hospital staff in scrubs buzzed by her before she removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes.

As she put her glasses back on, she was startled to see the benevolent form of a female Archangel before her, glowing with gentle white light.

"Archangel Sandalaphon… I… what's going on here?" Claire asked in fear.

"Calm yourself Claire Li," Sandalaphon said gently, "You have nothing to fear. Come with me."

* * *

Nick Adler squinted his eyes and opened them again, finding himself standing in the middle of a farm field. As the bright light of the sun glared down from above, a gentle breeze blew causing the stalks of golden grain to sway around him. He wasn't quite sure where he was or how he got here. He had been in the middle of a ferocious battle with miles of flat grassland around him… but now this?

The Green Ranger reached out his hand and gently ran it along the swaying grain stalks. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the peaceful sensations around him, the warm sunlight on his face, the cool breeze on his skin, and sounds and touch of the grain stalks at his fingertips. This must have been Heaven. As he opened his eyes again, he saw a large form of an Archangel glowing with a green aura.

Nick gasped and stepped back in momentary alarm, "Archangel... I… I'm not dead… am I?"

Archangel Hashmael slowly shook his head and spoke in what almost sounded like a mildly amused laugh, "No, Nicholas Adler. You are very much alive… but having seen this field, there is still other important work left to do."

* * *

As the white glare of light faded, Izzy Herrera blinked her eyes, only to find herself standing in front of an overhead projector at the head of a classroom. As she straightened up, she saw the eyes of all the grade-school students in the room watch her curiously.

"Um… Miss Herrera? Is everything ok?" asked a little boy with short blonde hair as he raised his hand.

"Yes… everything is fine. Sorry," Izzy stammered clearing her throat and looking back at the projector, "Um… what were we doing now?"

One of girls called out, "We were going over the words before today's spelling test."

The Pink Ranger nodded and examined the words on the screen. She didn't have time to figure out what was going on until she took care of this first, "Of course. Now… how about we try this next word…"

She was cut off as the bell rang. Izzy gave a sigh of relief and looked at her watch seeing it was noon. "Ok everyone… we'll get back to this after lunch. Dismissed."

As the children hurriedly filed out of the room, laughing and being noisy, Izzy sat back in her chair and gave a sigh of relief. As she did, she saw an Archangel with a pink aura sitting near one of the desks.

"Dios mio!" Izzy exclaimed in shock, nearly falling out of her chair as Archangel Ambriel rose to her feet.

"Be not afraid Isabel Herrera. I mean you no harm… but I do need you to listen to me. This future that you see right now depends upon it."

* * *

Joe Hale slowly cracked his eyes open and shifted his weight. He could feel a soft pillow under his head and felt the gentle light of the bright morning sun on his face as it streamed through his bedroom window. As he rose from bed, the Red Ranger looked about the unfamiliar surroundings. It was a very clean, but comfortably furnished room and he found a dark suit with a white shirt and a red tie already laid out for him. Giving a frown, he began trying to piece together his memories… of the battle with Gideon… of the others.

Joe put on the slacks and dress shirt and walked down the hall into what looked to be the kitchen of the house only to find a shocking sight. He found Claire at the stove-top frying some eggs and bacon while a one year old boy sat in a high chair burbling over a bowel of oatmeal.

"Claire… what… what's going on here?" he stammered.

She placed the food on a plate and turned to greet him with a smile and a good morning kiss, "What does it look like silly? I'm making breakfast. You'll have to hurry though. You don't have a lot of time this morning, remember?"

Joe raised a questioning eyebrow as Claire sighed and began to tie the red tie around his collar, "You've got that big jury trial verdict to get to downtown."

Joe blinked and turned to the cooing baby in the high chair, "What about him?"

"Oh, don't worry," Claire smiled, "I'm off today so I thought I'd take little Tyler to the park."

This was all getting too weird for him. When did all this happen? Practicing law, marrying Claire, and having a baby? His thoughts were interrupted as baby Tyler gave a happy squeal while grabbing his bowl of oatmeal and dumping it on top of his head.

"Oh no!" Claire gasped rushing over to try to clean up the oatmeal covered infant while Joe stood in the kitchen listening as he heard his name be called several times from seemingly out of nowhere.

* * *

"Joseph Hale!"

The Red Ranger blinked his eyes and found himself on an empty white plane of light. The kitchen had vanished and he stood alone... save for the fiery being before him, Archangel Auriel.

"Auriel... am I... dead? What happened to the others? Are they ok?"

The Archangel regarded him quietly for a moment, "The other four Rangers are alive... as are you."

Joe gave a deep sigh and nodded, "Good... I'm glad then."

"What you did was reckless and foolish Joseph Hale," the Archangel said in a gentle but reproving way.

"What do you mean?" Joe replied indignantly, "I tried to protect my friends by trying to kill Gideon. I tried to act as you would have done."

"You are not me, and the Vanguard Rangers are not the same as the original defenders of Eden," Auriel said authoritatively, "You have great valor and understand the meaning of sacrifice, but in your drive to be a hero, you forget one critical thing."

Auriel spread his hands gently, "You cannot do it alone. Victory over Gideon is something that can only be achieved together, with the efforts of all your friends. Pride is the flaw that caused Gideon to lose the war in Eden and he believed he could win the battle himself. But you must also remember that each of the Vanguard Rangers is a worthy hero in their own right as well... isn't that so?"

Joe stopped a moment and nodded his head, "Yeah... they are."

Auriel nodded and gestured behind the Ranger.

The Red Ranger turned in surprise as he saw his fellow Rangers materialize from behind him. As they gathered together again, they rushed to greet each other with quiet laughs and hugs, relieved that everyone was still safe and alive. After their brief reunion, the five Rangers turned to face the five Archangels gathered in front of them.

To everyone's surprise, Claire was the first to step forward and address her angelic counterpart, "I'm glad everyone is ok… but I don't understand how we're all still alive right now."

Sandalaphon nodded her head and gestured to her fellow Archangels, "That was our doing. Remember that the five of us are connected to the Keyrunes and by extension, you. Just as you draw elemental power from them, we drew your energies into the Keyrunes to save you from Gideon's last attack."

"So you basically pulled our bodies and souls into the Keyrunes… with you?" Danny asked in astonishment.

Fandaniel tilted his head thoughtfully, "In a manner of speaking… yes. But there is another reason we did this."

The Rangers fell silent as Ambriel extended a hand, "We showed you these visions of possible futures to remind you five of what you are fighting for… and why you must continue to do so."

Hashmael cleared his throat, "You already understand the Past... the history of Eden, who we were and why we were. You understand the Present, who you are now... descendants of our race, guardians of our legacy, Power Rangers... it's important to understand where you need to go... the Future of peace and prosperity that awaits."

The five Rangers gave solemn nods in silence as Auriel waved a hand and created a glittering road behind them, "We did everything we could to save you this day, but the rest will lie with you five. Know that our spirits and our powers will endure through you, so long as you hold your Keyrunes with love for the world in your hearts."

"Thank you Auriel... everyone... for all that you've done," the Red Ranger said, "We won't let you down."

Giving a final wave, the five Rangers began to hurry down the road into a tunnel of light that continued to grow with intensity. They continued to run until they were blinded and found themselves lying unmorphed on the tattered battlefield they had left behind. A thin haze of smoke still hung over the Alabaster Flats as they found the battlefield empty.

The Rangers had returned and were whole again... albeit sore, dirty, and ragged from their first battle with Gideon. As they each sat up slowly, they suddenly felt how sore and tired the battle had left them, but the thoughts of saving their city kept them moving. As the smoke cleared somewhat on the now empty field, Danny looked toward the city in the distance with growing dread. "Everyone... the city is burning."

"Where is Gideon?" Nick grunted rising to his feet with Izzy's assistance, "We have to help Kara and Bishop... wherever they are."

"We will," Joe assured him, putting a steadying hand on his roommate's shoulder before turning to walk in the direction of the city. "If I know Bishop, he's going to keep that Trumpet safe for us when we return... so let's not keep him waiting too long."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **De Profundis: Latin for "From the Depths," in reference to Psalm 130, used as a penitential prayer for the faithful departed. The theme of the Psalm itself reflects deep sorrow while asking for God's mercy.**


	71. Light of the Past, Hope of the Future

**Episode 36: Part 1  
**

Professor Gabriel Bishop grunted as he bashed aside a Magog soldier with his shield and brought his heavy mace around to counter the attack of another foot soldier. All around him was destruction and chaos as Cambion troops poured into the city of Hyperion Falls. Everywhere he turned, he saw looting, destruction and the hurting of fleeing civilians. The glow of smoldering fires continued to burn nearby while the college professor-turned-soldier swept aside the Magog's weapon and dropped it with a crushing blow to the side of the monster's head.

As more Magogs continued to advance, Bishop turned and fell back further in what seemed like an endless fighting retreat. He was tired, and despite the light-weight flexible plate armor he wore, it wasn't something he was conditioned to. He was a mild mannered History teacher, not some kind of medieval warrior. As he continued to approach the campus of Hyperion University, he couldn't help but think how ironic it was that this might all end in the same place it started.

He remembered the first day he saw a Cambion demon no more than two years ago, and how five of his new students had become Power Rangers to combat the threat. So much had happened between then and now… and so much had happened between all of them. As he charged through and smashed a wandering patrol of Magog soldiers aside, he couldn't help but wonder what happened to the Rangers… if they were in fact incinerated by Gideon's power. He swallowed the lump in his throat and gripped his mace tighter as he took his aggression out on the Magogs in front of him. If the Rangers were in fact gone, they would still be counting on him to continue their fight against these overwhelming forces.

* * *

As he made it onto campus, he saw the same destruction and mayhem being wrought with burning buildings and students fleeing in terror from the demon onslaught. Turning his head, Bishop could see a small crowd of fleeing civilians from the city head with the students toward the main quad, hoping to use it as a regrouping point. Taking several deep breaths, Bishop kicked up his feet and hurried to follow the crowd, hoping to try and act as an escort, protecting them while they fled.

As the crowd reached the main quad, Bishop skidded to a halt as he saw a company of Magogs already there waiting. As the crowd of students and civilians turned to Bishop wondering who the mysterious knight was, a bright flash of light lit up the air. In a crack of thunder, the people felt a rush of heat and smelled ozone in the air as a golden figure raced into the demons' ranks. With lightning speed and agility, the Gold Ranger carved through the Magogs with her two scimitars, cutting them down with merciless fury. In mere moments, the entire company of foot soldiers was gone, collapsing to the ground and bursting into brimstone.

As Kara lowered her weapons for a moment, she turned to Bishop and nodded, "Are you unharmed, Herald?"

Bishop sighed in relief before stepping forward from the crowd of awed people, "I am. Thank you Gold Ranger. We have to get these people out of here."

Kara grimaced and looked around, before shaking her head, "I'm afraid we can't… we've been encircled by Magogs. All we can do is try to fight our way out at this point."

Bishop felt his spirits fall as the crowd of civilians gave panicked murmurs. He raised his shield and mace, standing beside Kara. "If that's what we're going to have to do… then so be it."

Before they could exchange another word, a pack of advancing Magogs stopped and parted, giving way for Archangel Gideon. The demon lord strode forward slowly. While he looked like he had recovered a little bit of his strength, his appearance was still battle worn and dirty. The blood on his face had dried and the Archangel's armor still bore the scorches, dents, and tears in his cuirass that he had suffered from earlier. As he walked, Gideon's expression was a mix of fatigue and disgust at the two remaining enemies who stood before him.

In one motion, he swept his six regal wings back and called out in a loud voice, "Humans of Hyperion Falls… You have committed a terrible sin this day. I offer you one last chance to surrender and bow before me… or be laid down into the dust. It is as simple as that."

"The Vanguard Rangers were right!" Bishop shouted back in a challenge, "You aren't some divine savior after all. You're nothing but a delusional tyrant Gideon!"

"Maybe so," Gideon smiled malevolently, "But consider this. The Vanguard Rangers are no more… struck down to oblivion by my own hand."

A shocked murmur swept through the crowd as Gideon gave a sidelong glance and smirked, "You would still try to challenge my power, and my rightful claim to the Empyrian Angels' dominion over Earth?"

"With our last breath," Kara shouted back while leveling her sword at the Archangel, "I'd rather die free than live as a groveling slave to you."

Gideon shook his head and gave a bored sigh, "Such stubborn pride. If death is what you wish Gold Ranger, then I will grant it to you."

To the crowd's shock, Kara dug her heels in and surged forward to drive her blades into Gideon, but the Archangel curled his wings around at the last moment to form a defensive shield. Kara gasped as her blades deflected sideways and she was thrown off balance, until Gideon reached for his sword at his side and sent her flying back with a powerful blow.

The Gold Ranger hit the ground hard and skidded to a halt on the lawn, demorphing with a gasp. Bishop rushed forward to help her and raised his shield over her just as Gideon sent a weak volley of his golden fireballs to try and finish them. The crowds cried out in terror at the resulting explosion as the last of the city's two defenders were thrown backwards again. As the smoke cleared from the quad, the students and civilians stared in shock at the two familiar faces that had been revealed.

"Hey! Isn't that Professor Bishop?" one of the students called out. From the crowd, Dr. Maggie Feldman gasped as she saw her colleague stagger to his knees without his helmet.

"Gabriel?"

Beside the Empyrian Herald, Feldman saw Kara clutch his arm for support, rising to a sitting position. Was it possible that the Gold Ranger was Gabriel's cousin, Kara Bishop? The crowd watched tensely as Gideon flexed his wings and leveled his sword at the two exposed heroes, "Now… which one of you will face judgment first?"

At that moment, Gideon was interrupted as he heard the sound of wailing Magogs. He turned in annoyance to see a squad of foot soldiers fleeing back toward him from the other side of the quad as five figures began to take shape from the smoke. As they approached, Gideon lowered his sword and gave a startled look, "No… this can't be…"

From where they lay on the lawn, Kara and Bishop turned their gaze and followed the eyes of the crowd toward the faces of the five Vanguard Rangers who slowly walked from the mists with a calm determined air.

In each of their hands, they held their Keyrunes which glowed with a vibrant but gentle light and drew looks from the stunned civilians. In a way, they carried themselves with grace and majesty despite their tattered appearance. Their clothes were singed and torn in several places while their faces were covered in grime and dried blood from their own scrapes and bruises.

"The only person who's going to be facing divine judgment today is you Gideon," Joe shouted, startling the Archangel.

"How can this be?" Gideon cried in shock, "I destroyed you… all of you! The original powers of the other Archangels should be gone."

"That's where you're wrong Gideon," Danny said speaking up, "The power of the Empyrian Angels and the legacy of Eden still lives through us!"

Beside him, Nick nodded in agreement, "You've already destroyed Eden, and we're not going to let you destroy another world! This is our home and humanity is going to finish what the angels of the Past couldn't!"

Glancing over toward their allies, Claire smiled toward Bishop, "Thanks for helping to hold the line Professor. I think we should take it from here."

Bishop gave a relieved chuckle and nodded, stepping clear of the Rangers to stand watch over the other civilians on the sidelines.

As he did, the other Rangers smiled warmly as Kara hurried over and took her rightful place in their formation. A look of quiet joy and relief spread over her face as she wiped aside a few stray tears, "I was so worried… I thought you five were dead."

Nick gave a wide grin and winked toward her, "You think I'd actually let you to take care of that strawberry garden alone?"

Kara simply smiled and shook her head as they turned their attention back to the Cambion Lord.

"We said we were going to end this ancient conflict here and now Gideon," Joe called out, "That's exactly what we're going to do!"

"How dare you speak to me like that, human. You six are only worms… pretenders… nobodies." Gideon sputtered in rage, "Just who do you really think you are?"

Joe stepped forward raising his Keyrune as it flared with elemental light. In one motion, he instantly morphed, prompting each Ranger to follow suit one by one.

 _"The Radiant Torch! Vanguard Red!_

 _"The Swirling Tempest! Vanguard Blue!"_

 _"The Rumbling Mountain! Vanguard Green!"_

 _"The Stinging Blizzard! Vanguard White!"_

 _"The Dancing Whirlwind! Vanguard Pink!"_

 _"The Surging Thunderbolt! Vanguard Gold!"_

 _"The Light of the Past, and the Hope of the Future! Power Rangers!"_ they chorused as the dark clouds and smoke finally lifted, giving way to clear blue skies and brilliant sunlight from above.

While the Magogs cowered and Gideon raised his hand to shield his eyes, the students of Hyperion University stood in awe of their classmates' celestial transformation. From the crowd, Jen Kaufmann covered her mouth, while watching Joe take on the mantle of the Red Ranger and brandish his shining gladius.

Nearby, Dr. Feldman stood agape at the sight of Nick becoming the Green Ranger while a familiar little girl named Laurel gave a joyful cheer to the Pink Ranger from her Dad's arms, "Yeah! Go get em Miss Herrera!"

At the other end of the crowd, Mr. and Mrs. Li witnessed their daughter Claire become the White Ranger and clasped each others hands. Beside them, Mr. and Mrs. Winthrope blinked, then gave proud quiet smiles toward their son Danny, now clad in his Blue Ranger suit.

Archangel Gideon ground his teeth in growing rage and waved his troops forward, "Attack now! Kill them all!"

As the Magogs began to charge forward, the other Rangers drew their gladius blades in unison while Joe raised his sword to the sky. As the Red Ranger leveled it toward the advancing demons, he shouted their battle cry, _"Vanguard! Take Flight!"_

The students and civilians of Hyperion Falls watched in awe as six angelic Power Rangers charged forward and smashed into the oncoming Magogs with a unified winged leap. As each Ranger slashed and maneuvered their way through the Cambion foot soldiers, they transfigured their gladius blades into their own personal weapons while still on the move.

From his place in the rear rank, Gideon watched as the Magogs were decimated by the Rangers' impressive display of martial prowess and elemental assisted attacks. As the remnants of the Magogs turned and fled for their lives, Gideon stepped forward with a sneer, "Fine then. I'll just have to finish you by myself then."

He flexed his wings and fired a barrage of golden fireballs at his enemies but the Rangers raised their Keyrunes, quickly tracing angelic sigils in the air. As the fireballs erupted harmlessly against their magic wards, the first five Rangers burst forth in their own golden armor and leapt at him from different directions. Giving a grunt, Gideon took a defensive stance and blocked the first five Ranger's attacks, but forgot about Kara who swept in under his guard and landed a dual slash using a scissor striking motion with her weapons.

"You'll pay for that," the Archangel snarled taking a swing with his own blade, but Kara tumbled to safety while the White Ranger swooped from behind and launched a volley of icy arrows into his back.

Again, Gideon growled as he shook his wings free of ice while the Red and Green Rangers attacked together. The Archangel gasped as he grabbed Nick's hammer and blocked Joe's sword blow, struggling as the two pushed hard against the Cambion Lord to force him backwards. To his surprise, they shifted their stances sideways and disengaged, allowing for Danny and Izzy to attack together with their piercing weapons and land a dual blow.

As Gideon recoiled from the strike, the Red and Green Rangers followed up with their own double team attack, striking the Archangel again. Gideon staggered back, trying to keep his balance as he felt the effects of his prior injury begin to wear on him.

"I will not be brought low by human children," he growled as he unleashed another storm of fire from his wings and a projectile slash of his sword.

In unison, Kara and the other four Vanguard Rangers all took a defensive formation together, using their combined wings to create a protective shield and ward off Gideon's attack. As the wings unfurled and the other Rangers stumbled to their knees from absorbing the intense blast, the Red Ranger burst forward with his sword leveled to attack.

From his position at the head of the crowd, Bishop removed the Trumpet he was guarding and saw it suddenly become a ball of light. Rearing back, he made to hurl it like a baseball, "Joe! Catch!"

As he hurled the mote of light, the Red Ranger turned and caught it, summoning his Seraphim armor mid charge. The civilians gasped as the fiery angel surged forward and plowed into a wide-eyed Gideon. The Lord of the Cambion demons roared in fury as he was swept up into the sky and buffeted about in a swirling cyclone of flames and light.

As Gideon extended his six wings, he broke the fire twister apart only to look up and see the Red Seraphim dive down upon him using the glare of the sun at his back. Joe hit Gideon like a fiery comet and drove him back down into the quad resulting in a tremendous shockwave.

When the smoke cleared, Gideon crawled to his knees as the Red Ranger descended and dispelled his Seraph armor. Joe leveled his saber toward the defeated Archangel, "It's over Gideon. You once thought you could conquer Eden alone and because of that Pride, you fell."

The tattered Archangel weakly rose to his feet and picked up his sword, breathing heavily with a rasping sound. His once beautiful features were marred with cuts, bruises, and blood. The Cambion Lord's armor was in complete ruins from scorch marks, tears, and grime.

"You were still so Prideful that you thought you could conquer Earth," the Red Ranger continued, "You used your own generals and betrayed everyone around you... and for what? Look around you Gideon! Your soldiers have all fled and abandoned you. Your arrogance was all for nothing!"

"Do not talk down to me boy," Gideon wheezed using the last of his strength to charge forward in a rage. "If that self righteous bastard Auriel really lives through you, then I'll just have to snuff out your light forever with my dying breath."

Joe backpedaled in shock and raised his blade to block Gideon's slash at the last moment. As he parried the weapon aside, Joe turned inside the Archangel's guard and drove his saber deep into the exposed opening of Gideon's damaged breastplate. To Joe's shock, Gideon dropped his sword and grabbed at the shaft of the saber which impaled him. With a malicious grin, Gideon began to push back against the blade, while laughing manically.

The Red Ranger shouted and tried to push the blade deeper into Gideon's heart but found he wasn't strong enough and was forced to one knee. Gideon cackled with insane glee as he kept pushing back against the blade lodged in his chest, "Who is the Prideful one now, boy?"

In an instant, Joe felt several hands put themselves over the hilt of the saber, adding their strength to his. He glanced to both sides of him and saw his five fellow Rangers had rushed up beside him to help drive the final strike home against the Archangel.

"Auriel said you couldn't do this alone, remember?" Izzy said as she pushed.

Nick nodded and gave a grunt, "You really think we'd let you take this limp-wristed peacock all by yourself?"

Joe smiled as he felt the strength of Danny, Nick, Claire, Izzy, and Kara behind him, causing the saber to glow with a buzzing golden light.

"No... how can this be?" Gideon gasped as the blade began searing his hands and burning a hole through his chest. "You cannot do this to me!"

"Everyone... thank you," the Red Ranger said, "Now let's end this... together!"

With one unified cry, the six Rangers gave a spirited shout and pushed, driving the radiant blade home into the Archangel's heart. Gideon grunted and made a shocked choking sound as blood began to well up from his mouth. Giving one last terrible cry of unearthly fury, the Lord of the Cambion demons fell forward on the blade, detonating into a spectacular fiery explosion that swallowed the Vanguard Rangers in the intense blast.

* * *

The stunned people of Hyperion Falls shielded their eyes and ears from the shockwave as a wave of smoke and dirt swept over the battlefield. Several long minutes passed and Bishop watched in silence as the smoke dissipated. While they waited, he felt Maggie Feldman stand beside him and take his hand with a reassuring squeeze. Finally, in the ruins of the central quad, he saw the six Rangers sprawled out on the ground, laid flat by the destruction of Gideon. They had been knocked down to their basic morphed forms and their own golden Archangel armor had probably saved them.

Very slowly, he saw the Rangers begin to stir and slowly raise themselves to sitting positions. They were stunned, disoriented, and shaken from the horrific battle, but they were alive. The Cambion Legion had been defeated and the city was finally safe. As Bishop rushed to the quad to aid his students, he heard the sounds of growing cheers, whistles, and applause from the students and civilians as they all began to follow behind and welcome their heroes.

The Red Ranger was the first to rise amid the cheers as Bishop pulled him to his feet. As the Rangers removed their helmets, the cheers only grew louder as the people swarmed them. While Danny and Claire both rushed to their parents, Nick found himself swarmed by several of his female classmates while his face was covered in their kisses.

Nearby, Izzy laughed as she gave her student Laurel a hug and hoisted the adoring little girl up in her arms. After exchanging a relieved hug between them, the Professor and Kara separated and pulled the Red Ranger into another Bishop family hug. As the two embraced him, Joe glanced over and caught sight of Jen giving him a quiet smile before nodding her head and disappearing back into the mass of people.

Amid the cheering crowd, Bishop smiled to him, "You did it! The war is finally over!"

Joe gave a serene smile and shook his head, 'No. We did it. All six of us Rangers... and you."

He held up his Keyrune and placed a hand on the Professor's steel pauldron, "You were the one who unlocked the powers of our Keyrunes, who mentored us, and guarded Auriel's Trumpet in our absence. Thank you Professor."

Bishop smiled and nodded before he was pulled away by Dr. Feldman and several other impressed faculty members. While he did, the Red Ranger gazed toward the university clock-tower in the near distance. For a moment, he thought he could see the glowing forms of five benevolent Archangels watching over the celebration on campus. Before he knew it, Joe turned and felt Claire wrap her arms around his waist. She looked up at him and smiled brightly, "Can you believe this is actually happening to us? We finally won! The city and our families are finally safe again."

He put his arm around her and smiled, giving her a gentle kiss before looking back toward the clock-tower. To his surprise, the angels were gone.

"Is something wrong?" Claire asked tilting her head slightly.

Joe simply shook his head with a smile before looking up to the clear blue skies above, "No. Everything is fine now."

To Claire's surprise, he took her hand and led her back into the celebrating crowd of students and citizens, "God's in His Heaven and all's right with the world again."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Whew! And that concludes the final explosive battle of this series! I hope all of you enjoyed this penultimate super-chapter, and don't worry. We're not going to say goodbye to our heroes just yet. Within the next day or so, I'll be posting a final chapter as well as an additional epilogue. Thanks again everyone and stick around for the conclusion coming up soon!**


	72. Apotheosis

**Episode 36: Part 2  
**

Bright sunlight streamed into Professor Bishop's lecture hall as the Vanguard Rangers finished their last Final Exam of the year. Everyone else stirred restlessly in their seats, waiting on Nick to finish his exam. It had been a surreal month and a half since the final confrontation with the Cambion demons and the Rangers were still trying to adjust back to the feel of being regular college students.

It had been a little difficult recently as they had achieved instant celebrity status on campus and throughout the city of Hyperion Falls. For all they knew, they may have been considered heroes to their entire home state of Colorado by now.

As Joe sighed and drummed his fingers on his desk, Danny turned and nudged him with an elbow. Giving a grin, the Blue Ranger muttered quietly, "You'd think that after saving the world and all that, Bishop would've just given us all A's for this test.

At the front of the room, Bishop glanced up from his desk and cleared his throat, giving Danny a gentle frown before Nick rose triumphantly and handed in his test.

"Well guys… at least I passed that one," the Green Ranger said proudly as he returned.

"Nick! That's a terrible attitude to have," Claire frowned as she gathered up her books.

From where he sat, Danny shrugged and laughed, "I'm guessing you didn't really study for the test either huh, big guy?"

The Green Ranger laughed and exchanged a high-five with him, "C's get degrees preppy."

In an instant, Izzy huffed and gave Danny a light slap on the arm, "Stop it Danny! Don't encourage him!"

As the others began to erupt into a petty argument, Kara sat examining her own copy of the test paper, "I have to admit, this was definitely a difficult exam for me."

Joe rolled his eyes and gave the Gold Ranger a gentle poke to the side of her head, "Kara, for the last time... you're not even in this class or getting a grade, remember?"

"That reminds me," Bishop said as he closed his briefcase and headed toward them, "Now that the demons are gone... I guess there's no longer any reason for all of you to coordinate your schedules with my courses."

At that, Claire shook her head and gave a smile, "We know Professor... but if it's ok with you, the rest of us all decided we'd still take a class with you every semester going forward."

Bishop stopped and looked to the faces of his students with a soft smile, "Thanks everyone... I'd like that."

* * *

As the class adjourned for the year, the Rangers made their way out of the lecture hall with Professor Bishop.

"So Professor," Izzy asked hopefully, "Any chance we can all go on another little field trip this summer? If not Santa Barbara, maybe somewhere exotic… like Paris, or Tuscany?"

Bishop laughed, "I'm afraid not Izzy. The school is already paying enough money as it is to repair all the damage from the demon attacks."

"Too bad they didn't trash the lecture hall instead. Then we wouldn't have had to take this exam today," Joe quipped before Claire gave him a gentle elbow in the side.

Bishop ignored the wisecrack and scratched his chin, "Actually, I was planning to take a few weeks off and go back home to Chicago. Maggie's never been there so I figured I'd take her with me and show her around town."

Nick gave an approving nod and smiled, "Well you two have fun then. The rest of us will just have to make do and keep an eye on things here."

As they all left the building and walked outside, they took a deep breath of fresh air. It was a beautiful late Spring morning and they had nowhere else important to be. The Rangers' Sophomore year and semester classes were finally over.

"You know… it's funny," Claire mused as they all began to walk out toward the recovering grasses on the main quad, "For such a terrible battle having been fought here, the quad still looks pretty good."

"Too bad we can't say the same about the Mugshot," Danny sighed as he and Izzy walked hand in hand, "That café was probably the most tragic casualty of this entire war."

Izzy patted his arm sympathetically and nodded, "To think… we'll all have to wait until the start of next year to get our coffee fix again."

"I'll still look forward to going there again," Kara said with a hopeful smile, "Just like I'll look forward to seeing all of you return again for the Fall semester."

Bishop put a hand on her shoulder while the other Rangers gave a quiet nod and returned her smile. The group fell into a long companionable silence before the Green Ranger took a deep breath and spoke.

"Well fearless leader," Nick said finally turning to the Red Ranger, "Now that all is said and done... where do we go from here?"

Joe stopped for a moment and gazed up into the bright blue skies as a gentle breeze began ripple through the air.

"I don't know," he finally said as he turned toward his friends with a thoughtful smile, "Today... I was kinda thinking we'd just go wherever the wind takes us."

He felt Claire slip her hand into his as the other Rangers smiled and fell into line around him. As they did, the six Rangers felt the gentle breeze at their backs prompting Danny to glance sideways with a confident wink, "Ready when you are."

Joe smiled and gestured forward as he began to walk, "Vanguard... take flight."

As the six Rangers and their professor began to walk away from the main quad, they couldn't help but glance upwards toward the radiant sun and the bright blue skies above. It had been a long perilous road full of hardship, fear, and struggle. But it had also been a journey filled with adventure, discovery, friendship, and love.

For now, the Vanguard Rangers couldn't be certain where these new winds of hope and promise were going to carry them... but as they all continued to walk forward into the light of the sun, it was clear that their futures never looked more bright.

 _ **The End**_

* * *

 _*Roll the credits and let the song Stars by Arrows to Athens take us home through the Epilogue._


	73. Epilogue: Dona Nobis Pacem

_Supplemental Record:_

 _Two years after their victory over the Cambion demons, each of the Vanguard Rangers went on to graduate college and begin their new lives._

-Vanguard-

 _After graduation, Joseph Hale was accepted to Hyperion University's school of law where he went on to pass the bar exam and become a licensed attorney. He took a job with the District Attorney's office and has since been earning his stripes as an up-and-coming criminal prosecutor. He had also continued to date Claire while they both went to graduate school. After several years of hard work, study, and saving, the two are now happily married._

-Vanguard-

 _Danny Winthrope went on to work for his father's financial consulting firm for a few years before saving enough money to launch a startup marketing business of his own. He found his first big client in Nick who had developed a new fertilizer mixture and the two reaped a great profit from their efforts. With the growing success of his business and more money in his pocket, Danny relocated to a larger downtown office and used a little bit of the extra money to purchase an engagement ring for an unsuspecting Pink Ranger, who he is still presently dating._

-Vanguard-

 _Nick Adler returned to his family farm for a couple years to help his family increase their productivity, all while developing a new fertilizer mixture of his own. After perfecting it, he hired out Danny's business to market and sell the product. While the fertilizer hasn't gone national yet, it's become successful enough at the local level and gained popularity among several food growers and botanists in the region. When he's not working on his own farm or managing his product, Nick still finds time to care for a little strawberry patch that he set aside on his property. Oftentimes, Kara Bishop has been known to visit him and help in taking care of the little fruit garden._

 _-_ Vanguard _-_

 _Claire Li followed in her father's footsteps, graduating college with high honors and going on to medical school. After passing her board exams and serving as a resident intern at the city's central hospital, she officially became a doctor of pharmacy. She now serves as a pharmacist in the city's central hospital and continues to enjoy doing chemistry research toward developing new medical drugs. As was mentioned, she's been happily married to Joe for a few years now, though I understand a recent rumor has been floating about the hospital that she's been interested in discussing the possibility of having children in the near future._

 _-_ Vanguard _-_

 _Isabel Herrera went on to get her teaching certificate and took a job at an elementary school in the suburbs. She's become well loved by the children there and students of all grades come to visit her, asking to hear stories about being a Power Ranger and the adventures she went on with her friends. To her surprise, Danny also proposed to her just recently and the two have become engaged. While the wedding is still a year or two away, they've begun considering destinations for their honeymoon. Right now, I've been told the first choice on their list is Honolulu, Hawaii._

 _ _-__ Vanguard _ _-__

 _Kara Bishop continued to integrate into the modern world and began taking classes to get her basic education certificates. Under my tutelage, she's well on her way to getting a college degree as well, and I couldn't be prouder of her. Since the final battle with Gideon, she regularly visits all of her fellow Rangers to stay near to them. When she's not busy with her own education or visits, she's taken great enjoyment in teaching her own martial arts classes as well as helping Nick with his gardening._

 _ _-__ Vanguard _ _-__

 _As for me, I've happily laid down my mace and shield, returning to what I love most… teaching History at Hyperion University. After the details of the demon attacks had been made public, I was finally free to publish several papers and books about my research on the ancient Empyrian race. It seems I've also gained further notoriety and fame within academic circles after leading another expedition to recover more artifacts and records from the sunken city of Atlantis. Otherwise, I still communicate regularly with the Rangers and we all make sure to try and see each other at least once a month. If you're also curious, I'm still in a relationship with Dr. Maggie Feldman and the two of us have been happy to just enjoy teaching our students while spending the rest of our free time together in peace._

 _I suppose here is where I should end this final journal entry. I couldn't help but feel the need to record a complete history of these events for future posterity. While I'm sure there will certainly be many more stories to tell in the future, for now this was the story of the Vanguard Rangers... my students, my friends, and my Rangers. I've recounted their deeds to the best of my ability, and if I've missed anything else... well... the rest as they say, is simply History._

 _~Professor Gabriel Bishop, PhD._


	74. Author's Acknowledgements

Dear Readers:

To any and all who have made it this far, I cannot thank you enough! This is the longest most self contained piece of fiction I have ever written and I couldn't have done it without you. Like our heroes in the story, I had an epic adventure in writing this and I hope you did too. I also wanted to say that this wasn't just my story, but all of yours too. I want to acknowledge everybody who contributed supporting characters, ideas for plots, weapons and equipment, or general ideas about the series overall. This was truly a team effort.

Everyone who followed, favorited, and/or left reviews, thank you too. As much as I loved writing this, I'll be honest, penning a complete series was very challenging and grueling at times, but your comments and encouragement are what helped get us through. That said, I'd love to hear any final thoughts or feelings on the series as well as any other questions you may have about the story... whether it's about the plot, the characters, or whatever. Feel free to ask anything! I'm more than happy to discuss it.

Looking forward, I'm going to be taking a nice long break before getting back to work on my other series, Power Rangers Oceania. That series is set in Hawaii several years after Vanguard so it's quite possible that some of the heroes from this story may show up later for a visit.

Oh, and before I forget, I'm also going to set up a fun little poll on my profile about your favorite characters from this series. Totally optional, but feel free to check it out! As we like to joke in my hometown: Vote early, vote often!

To get back on point, this was my grand experiment of seeing if I could take elements that make Power Rangers work for Western audiences and combine it with the things that make Super Sentai work for Japan.

A major inspiration for this story came in part from the Sentai series, Tensou Sentai Goseiger which was the first time that an angelic motif was ever used for its heroes. Even if classic Angels vs Demons can sometimes be a bit controversial in Western media, I thought Saban not using the angelic theme in Megaforce was a terrible wasted opportunity!

I wanted to prove that it was possible to make an entertaining Adventure-Drama while still using the imagery and moral elements of Judeo-Christian lore in a respectful but non-religious way. Admittedly, some of the imagery and themes leaned slightly toward Roman Catholicism, but I wrote what I was most familiar with. In a way, I suppose you can consider this the Western answer to what Goseiger (and Megaforce) could have, and should have been.

In writing this, I also wanted this story to take Power Rangers a step further by grounding it in world history. At its core, Power Rangers is supposed to be fun, uplifting, and heroic. But that doesn't mean that it can't have mature or thought-provoking moments either. When balanced with some dark elements, threatening villains, and genuine human drama, it makes a Power Ranger victory all the more satisfying in my mind.

Finally, I wanted to emphasize how significant the themes of understanding one's own History and Identity are. Whether we care to admit it or not, history affects all of us. It shapes who we are today, and helps us understand where we are going in the future. In the story, each of the Rangers had ties to their ancient counterparts, but understanding that tie also helped them to be their own person and forge their own destinies as well.

If this series at least makes you take a moment's pause to think about your own place in the grand scheme and aspire to greatness like the Rangers, then I consider my job done. Thanks again everyone, and God bless you all.


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